Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail
by The Quiet Comic
Summary: Young Nunnally Wallace had come to Fairy Tail when she was only 10 years old. Now nine years have passed and she has grown into a strong young woman. But in order to understand this, you must look into how she became who she is today. Her tale began the year she turned 15.
1. Chapter 1: A Flower Blooms in the Forest

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 01: A Flower Blooms in the Forest**

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"What do you want old man? What'd you call me down here for?" Laxus complained to his grandfather, Guild Master Makarov. By the look of Laxus' face, it was obvious that he was not happy with his grandfather calling the 19-year-old out of the blue.

"Laxus!" Makarov sternly began as he sat on the bar counter. Makarov Dreyar was the Fairy Tail Guild's master and one of its most powerful and formidable members. On most days, he would be found drinking with a lighthearted smile near the bar, but today, Master Makarov wore such a serious look that it made Laxus a bit wary of him. "I have a job for you." He calmly finished as he suddenly held out a job request.

"A job?" He asked with a bored expression. "This is what you called me down here for? To ask me to go on a job? Geez..." He huffed in annoyance. Laxus didn't mind going out on missions, in fact, he usually enjoyed the thrill of them, but the fact that his grandfather was the one ordering him to go felt quite irksome to the young man. "I've got better things to do, so call me when you actually have something important to say." Finished, Laxus turned around and began to walk away but was immediately stopped.

"LAXUS!" Makarov angrily yelled.

Laxus stopped as ordered and turned his head only to show his grandfather a scowling face. "You got something else to say, old man?

"I'm not asking you Laxus; I'm telling you. Now take it." Master Makarov ordered, holding out the job request once more.

Laxus glared at his grandfather for a few more moments before making an audibly irritated sound. "Tsk, fine..." He quickly swiped the sheet of paper from his grandfather's hand and inspected its contents. "A bandit, huh?" Suddenly, Laxus crumpled the paper in his hand, more irritated than before. "Hey, old man! What the hell is this!? What's the deal with sending me on a lame ass mission like this!?"

"Well you can't expect me to send Nunnally out there all alone, can you?" Master Makarov calmly responded.

"Nunnally?" Laxus stood genuinely confused at the mention of her name. He couldn't help but wonder what she had to do with any of this.

"She's like a princess! I can't expect her to handle this kind of job on her own!" Makarov continued, fuming with passion.

"Now you're asking me to babysit?" Laxus began, growing more and more annoyed by the second. It was bad enough that his grandfather was making him go on a job he didn't want, now he has to play nanny? "You know what old man? Forget this. I'm leaving, so ask someone else."

Before Laxus even got the chance to turn around to leave, Master Makarov called his name in the harshest tone he ever heard his grandfather use. "LAXUS!" Makarov's harsh demeanor made Laxus slightly flinch just before he slowly looked his grandfather in the eye with an irritated expression. "Everyone in the guild has their own work to do." The Master began to explain with a harsh look. "I'm only asking you because you've just been loitering around the guild hall lately. Now, since it seems you have nothing better to do with your time, I want YOU to escort Nunnally."

Not even trying to put up a fight anymore, Laxus tiredly sighed. "Can't you just send her by herself, old man?"

"I was considering sending her off alone, but she hasn't had much experience on missions." Master tearfully replied before suddenly standing up from the bar counter with resolve. "So it's only natural for her to start gaining experience! Isn't that right, Nunnally?" He dotingly asked Nunnally, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Yes, Master." She calmly agreed with an obvious meekness in her voice. Nunnally, with her long, golden brown hair and elegant militaristic dress, was an obvious beauty to most of the guild, but many of the guild members considered her to be a strange girl. She was shy and didn't talk much, and most of the conversations she did have were held with plants, contributing to her oddball nature. Laxus, though, didn't care much for her either way due to her meek appearance. In his eyes, she was nothing more than a weakling—a nuisance.

Laxus, ignoring Nunnally's presence, interrupted. "You've got to be kidding me; I might as well go by myself. A weakling like her will just get in the way." As soon as he said this, Nunnally silently looked down at the floor, hurt by his cruel words.

"I've had it with your blasted whining, Laxus!" Master Makarov barked as he was fed up with his grandson's poor and disrespectful attitude. "It's not a request; it's an order! Now you WILL take Nunnally with you! END OF DISCUSSION!" He finished and immediately left to show his grandson that he was through with words.

The Master's exit left the two teens standing next to each other in deafening silence. It was quite evident that Laxus was more than angry, so Nunnally simply continued to look down at the floor as a means to avoid his piercing glare.

"Hey," Laxus suddenly spoke, surprising the 15-year-old girl. "Look at me." Doing as he instructed, Nunnally lifted her head, and, just as she felt, Laxus looked down at her with a cold expression, causing Nunnally to flinch under the weight of his icy gaze. "I'm only going to say this once." He roughly whispered before glaring at her. "You better not get in my way."

She didn't say anything right away, for Nunnally simply did not have the courage to do so, but she quickly pushed away all of her uncertainties and earnestly replied. "I assure you… that is the last thing I want."

Irritated, Laxus looked away, scoffing at her words before walking past her and out the guild hall doors. As he walked away, Nunnally simply watched him as she tightly gripped the strap of the small, leather messenger bag she prepared for her mission before realizing that she needed to leave as well, thus followed after him in haste.

The two made their way to the station in complete silence, but when they arrived, Laxus looked on at the train with total dismay. Noticing this, Nunnally asked if something bothered him, but he immediately brushed off her words and boarded in silence.

It wasn't until after the train began its departure that Nunnally noticed that Laxus, who sat across from her, appeared rather ill (although she did not know why at the time).

Concerned for his well-being, she spoke up—all while carefully choosing her words. "Laxus, do you... do you perhaps have motion sickness?" He didn't answer and, instead, scowled and looked away—unintentionally proving to her his apparent ailment.

Considering his macho exterior, Laxus' motion sickness came as a bit of a shocker to Nunnally. She always thought that he would be able to handle anything, but that didn't seem to be the case, so in order to help the poor boy, Nunnally brought out a small, glass vial filled with a pale, pink liquid from her bag and held it out to the blonde man. "Here..." She cautiously gestured. "It won't cure your ailment, but it should make this trip more bearable."

Still with a scowling face, Laxus looked back at her and asked, "Am I supposed to drink it?"

Nunnally shook her head as she casually replied. "No…" She averted her gaze. "It would likely poison you if you did." Nunnally then opened the vial and continued to speak as a soothing aroma reached their noses. "It's aromatherapy."

"Aroma… therapy?" Laxus questioned.

Nunnally nodded with a small, meek smile. "Yes, often times, humans and animals will feel more at ease in an uncomfortable setting if they have something that can relax their minds. It's not much, but if you want, I can give you this." She finished as she placed the tiny vial in his hand.

Laxus looked at her smiling face before asking another question that pressed his mind. "You made this?"

Before answering, Nunnally shyly smiled again as she looked away in embarrassment. This sole action caused Laxus' heart to skip a beat. "Yes, I was experimenting with fragrances and found that this scent best soothes unsettling stomachs. Do you feel better, Laxus?" She asked with a gentle smile.

Her question left Laxus stunned for a brief moment before he regained his senses and answered. "I do…" He paused for a second. He wasn't used to people worrying about him so openly, so Laxus felt a bit uncomfortable by Nunnally's gesture, but he didn't hate it. It just felt… strange. "Thanks..." Laxus was no longer upset; he was genuinely relaxed now. It was as if all his pent-up rage and frustrations vanished all at once, but, at the same time, sudden tiredness quickly overtook his mind. He didn't nod off to sleep, but in this clouded state, Laxus could no longer process his surroundings.

As Laxus sat in a dazed state, Nunnally continued to speak in a calm and gentle manner—although he could not comprehend her words. "Aromatherapy can take many forms. The oils are most often used in massages and are rarely consumed. This particular method, however, is most effective when inhaled. Your head may feel a bit clouded, but do not worry..." She paused for a moment and stared at Laxus' dazed face. "It's just a small side-effect."

It was strange to him. Her words were muffled, and he could not understand a word she said, but all his anger disappeared, and he felt completely at ease. Time was at a standstill for Laxus, and it felt like there was a peace in his heart that seemed to last an eternity, that is until he felt someone gently grab his shoulder.

"Laxus, we've reached our destination." Startled by Nunnally's touch, Laxus quickly returned to his senses. "Are you alright?" She worriedly asked.

"Y-Yeah..." He answered with slight nervousness before regaining his composure. Just after he replied, Laxus slowly arose from his seat with a stern look and exited the train cart with Nunnally following close behind him.

As they both made their way through town, they noticed how eerily quiet it was. The streets were empty, all businesses were closed, and there wasn't a single sign of human presence. This deeply worried Nunnally, but Laxus was not concerned by it at all. "We need to go talk to the client." He announced before remembering something else. "Oh, and don't forget to stay out of my way. The last thing I need is some little kid meddling in." Laxus seemed as cold as ever before—no longer relaxed like in the train.

"Yes..." She quietly trailed off with a hurt expression. Although she was only four years younger than Laxus, Nunnally was still just a child in his eyes, but she bore no ill will towards his rude behavior. It had been only two years since his father's expulsion from the guild, and although she could not relate, Nunnally understood how much pain Laxus was still in. That was how she was able to still sympathize with him while the other guild members could no longer tolerate his behavior.

"Are you the Fairy Tail wizards?" An old withered voice suddenly called out, catching their attention.

At that moment, Nunnally and Laxus stopped dead in their tracks only to stand before an elderly man. He seemed to be a venerable gentleman who lived a long, but difficult life. His face, tired and weary, was hopeful that Nunnally and Laxus were the people he called out for help.

"Yes, Sir. That is correct." Nunnally politely responded as she stood in the middle of the street.

"Oh, our prayers have been answered!" He teared up with joy. "Please, follow me! There's much to discuss." Urging the two wizards, the old man led them inside to explain the situation.

"Please, have a seat. I'm Eugene—the mayor of this town." He began, carefully seating himself in an antique armchair as Nunnally and Laxus followed suit. "I'm so happy that someone finally came. You don't realize how grateful I am." The old man, who was revealed to be the mayor of Elysium Town, teared up once more.

The way Eugene acted, though, seemed off to Nunnally. She didn't think that a mere bandit could cause someone so much grief, so she felt compelled to ask him what heavily weighed on her mind. "Sir Eugene, has something happened?" She paused for a moment before continuing. "You called us here to arrest bandit that's been terrorizing this town, but there's something else that's troubling you, isn't there?"

Laxus looked at Nunnally, a bit surprised by her sudden question before turning to Eugene with a glare. "Well?" He curtly added. "Is there something else?"

The mayor grimly looked down, as if in shame, before explaining all that happened in Elysium Town the past five months.

"FIVE MONTHS?!" Nunnally exclaimed with shock. "Sir Eugene, why didn't you call for help sooner?"

"I was afraid of what he would do. He said he would return the girls to us if we did what he asked, but then he..." The mayor paused as he tried to stomach his next words. "He took their lives!" Eugene suddenly broke down crying. "He even took my precious grand-daughter from me!" Nunnally simply looked at Eugene with pity before he began to desperately plead to the two mages. "Please! Please, Fairy Tail wizards! You have to help us!"

Suddenly, Laxus, who sat silent for quite some time, interrupted. "Well, what do we get out of this? As I recall, you originally called us down here to get rid of some bandit—not a serial killer." He brusquely said with a smirk. "I don't really see myself helping someone out if I don't get anything out of the deal. You understand, right?"

Nunnally stayed quiet as, from the corner of her eye, she witnessed Laxus demand better payment. She didn't approve of this, yet she didn't have the courage to speak out against it either. She simply stayed silent.

"I'll pay any price you ask! I'll pay double- no, triple the original amount! Just, please... I beg of you! Help us!"

Laxus slyly smiled. "Well, now we're talking." He then raised his right hand, holding out all five fingers. "Pay five times as much, and you got yourself a deal. That is... if you can. But if you can't, we can always go ho-"

"I'LL PAY!" Mayor Eugene interrupted in desperation. "I said any price, and I meant it." It was almost heartbreaking for Nunnally to see an old man like Eugene look so desperate for help. She didn't like how Laxus was taking advantage of the situation, but what could she do about it? Laxus was a terrifying guy when he got angry, so Nunnally was too timid to go against him.

Laxus stayed quiet for a moment before a smirk of amusement, caused by the mayor's desperation, formed on his face. "Well, it looks like you understand that I'm not here to play games. Getting rid of this guy shouldn't take too long." He said as he stood up from his seat and walked towards the door. "Expect to pay up when I return."

Seeing Laxus take his leave, Nunnally immediately followed suit, but before reaching the door, she turned back towards Mayor Eugene. "We will do our best." She reassured him with a sympathetic look and left.

Just after the door closed behind her, Mayor Eugene broke down in tears from both relief and gratitude. "Thank you! Thank you, Fairy Tail wizards! Thank you..."

Not long after Nunnally and Laxus left the mayor's estate, they headed towards Elysium Forest—the place where this whole mess began.

Elysium Forest, as Eugene described, was a place shrouded in mystery. It was the boundary between this world and the next, and it was said that those who entered the forest might never find their way out again. It was because of this, that Nunnally found it strange how a man began taking the women of the town into this forest as tribute. If it was true that humans disappeared in Elysium Forest, it wouldn't make sense for a man to keep coming in and out of it with ease. There was something more to all this—something that Nunnally couldn't tell Laxus just yet—not until she was certain of something.

The two walked for what seemed like an eternity in that forest. The air was clear when Nunnally and Laxus first entered, but as they walked further in, a thick haze quickly engulfed them.

"What's up with this mist? It was fine just a second ago." Laxus looked around confused.

"Perhaps the legend surrounding this forest has something to do with it," Nunnally quietly replied with a ponderous expression.

"You saying that the reason people never make it out of here is because of this mist?"

Laxus' quick response startled Nunnally for a moment before she quickly averted her gaze and answered him. "I am not certain, but… that is most likely the case."

Laxus then looked around as he tried to figure out which direction they should go. "Well, whatever... This mist has got nothing to with us. We just need to find that psychotic bastard and take him down. That's it." Laxus may have acted callous about the whole situation before, but he was genuinely worried about the townspeople that disappeared—even if he didn't show it.

"Yes, you're right," Nunnally replied, still worried about the truth behind this mission. 'Will defeating this man really solve this town's problems?' She thought with uncertainty.

It wasn't long before the two reached a clearing that appeared to be located right in the heart of Elysium Forest.

"How odd..." Nunnally uttered without a second thought.

With a slight look of confusion, Laxus turned to her. "Huh? What's wrong?"

"It appears that the haze is dissipating." She explained as she noticed the receding mist, making their surroundings much clearer than before.

"You're right..."

Just as Laxus was about to say something else, a wicked laughter suddenly echoed in the disappearing fog, and a man with a manic face appeared before them.

"Hey! You the guy who killed those girls from town?" Laxus called out with a glare.

"That's right; the name's Amalric." He replied before giving them a disgusting smirk. "And I do have to say, those girls..." Amalric continued with an elated expression before his grin grew wider. "They were the perfect offerings... and now it looks like I've got another one." He finished as he looked straight at Nunnally.

"Offerings?" Nunnally quietly questioned before realizing something.

"Wow... giving us your name right off the bat." Laxus began as he smirked at his opponent. "Like handing yourself over on a silver platter. Well, looks like we found just the man we're looking for."

"I'm just going to tell you right now..." Amalric smirked right back at Laxus. "I'm only interested in that girl you've brought there with you, so you I suggest you leave before things get ugly."

"Oh yeah?" Laxus replied with the same smile as his body shot out sparks of electricity. "Is that so?" As soon as he said this, without any warning, Laxus immediately made his move and tried to punch out Amalric in one strike. "YOU MUST REALLY LIKE TO SPEW OUT CRAP TO HEAR YOURSELF TALK, HUH?"

"Laxus, no! Get away from him!" Nunnally cried out as she tried to warn him of something important she noticed. Amalric, however, quickly dodged his attack and lashed a small, sharp blade at Laxus' arm.

The moment Amalric slashed his arm, he retreated a bit from before continuing to speak. "Ha! You think a little thing like that is going to-" Just before he could finish his sentence, however, Laxus suddenly clenched his arm and fell to the ground and yelled in excruciating pain.

"LAXUS!" Nunnally cried again before running to his side. "Laxus, everything will be alright, but, please, don't move!"

"Get away from me!" Laxus tried to push her aside as he struggled to get up. "I-I'm going to make him pay for whatever he did to me!"

"No! STAY STILL!" She ordered as she placed her hand on his chest and put a paralysis spell on him.

All of a sudden, Laxus couldn't move an inch. "Hey! What do you think you're doing!?" He yelled as he tried to move his body.

"I'm sorry Laxus, but I can't allow you to move!" Nunnally objected without any explanation.

"Hahaha!" Amalric laughed at this surprising new turn of events. "Attacking your own comrade? That's something new, but no matter... this makes it easier for m-"

"YOU!" Nunnally angrily interrupted as she arose from the ground. Laxus stopped struggling to move as he was surprised to see such an angry expression on her face. He never thought that Nunnally, of all people, could act like that. "I… I detest violence, but you've hurt my friend…" She continued as she glared at him. "So I will make you pay dearly for this."

"Ha!" Amalric laughed once more. "I'd like to see you try. I'll just do the same to you as I did to that boyfriend of yours."

"Very well... You'll regret those words soon enough…" Nunnally ominously began as her body slowly scattered into flower petals. "For I won't even give you the chance."

"What!? W-What is this!?"

Nunnally was still inexperienced in battle, but even she had an ace up her sleeve. Her abilities and high affinity with plant life allowed her to easily transform her body into light, pink petals. It usually took several years to master this complex spell, but for someone who only ever spent her time with plants, it was hardly any trouble at all for our flower maiden.

"Sir Amalric..." Nunnally's voice echoed as scattered petals flowed in the passing breeze and enveloped Amalric completely. "You have taken the lives of innocent girls and sought my dear friend's life as well."

Amalric quickly looked around as Nunnally's body continuously materialized and scattered over and over around him.

"For this..."

There was a familiar scent Laxus recognized as Nunnally's body scattered. Meanwhile, Amalric stood in place, dazed by this pleasant scent as he appeared awestricken by the many petals scattered around him. "It's so… beautiful…"

Finally, Nunnally materialized once more and landed just a few feet in front of Laxus when, out of nowhere, a giant carnivorous plant completely encased her body as if trapping a rat.

Laxus, who still laid paralyzed, quickly grew silent as he appeared shocked by the horrifying scene he just witnessed. He wasn't quite sure what to think. A giant plant swallowed Nunnally alive, making Laxus believe that she was dead. Although only a few minutes passed, it seemed to be an eternity for Laxus, but, just as he tried to figure out whether she was still alive or not, the monstrous bear trap opened up to reveal Nunnally, who had been clothed so modestly, wearing a short dress made out entirely of flower petals that proudly exposed her guild's emblem on her right thigh. It was as if Nunnally, herself, had become a completely different person.

"For this..." Nunnally repeated. "I will show no mercy!"

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

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 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello, Readers! As you may know, I'm The Quiet Comic, and I would first like to say thank you for reading my story. However, there is something I would like to clarify about Nunnally's "elegant militaristic dress". In general, it's hard for me to describe characters as opposed to the setting, so I just opted for that to be suitable for her character. It turns out the style of clothing I had in mind was something called "Military Lolita". I didn't even know that existed, but I think it's cute.**

 **Thanks again for reading guys.**

 **I really appreciate it.**


	2. Chapter 2: Budding Feelings

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 02: Budding Feelings**

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"For this..." Nunnally repeated. "I will show no mercy!"

Out of that plant arose a completely different woman—one strong and confident. The gentle face she always wore had been replaced with a piercing gaze; nothing would be able to faze her.

Nunnally's new appearance and demeanor were most shocking to Laxus than anything else. "Requip Magic!? But how!?" Laxus quietly whispered to himself just before his face turned serious. "No, wait... something's different."

Nunnally was a plant mage, so it wasn't possible for her to know how to use Requip Magic, especially considering how weak she had always been. The most Laxus had ever seen her use her magic for was to revive a few withered flowers. As Laxus pondered this, he noticed Nunnally reach for something in her hair—a hair stick. "What's she going to do with that?"

Four wooden sticks were carefully placed in the large intricate bun on her head—each with a different symbol etched into them. The one Nunnally reached for contained a carving of a willow tree. Grabbing it, she immediately flung it towards the ground near Amalric's feet with great force, and the moment it made contact with the ground, an enormous tree sprang up and its thick roots shot out, restraining Amalric to its thick trunk. Amalric, however, was not aware of any of this. He was so dazed by the scent Nunnally released into the air that he merely stayed silent—even when confined.

As he stood constrained, several flowering plants with large, red buds grew beside Nunnally aimed straight at Amalric. "Flower Cannons on standby. Countdown approximation: two minutes." She announced in an almost mechanical tone.

There were only two minutes left. In two mere minutes, everything would be over for the crazed man, but, despite this, Amalric stayed silent the whole time. It was as if he was still not aware that his life would soon come to an end. "Countdown approximation: one minute."

Laxus still laid silent, for no words come to him as he watched Nunnally in shock. He still couldn't believe that the girl he thought would get in his way would actually be the one saving him—though he did not understand how his life was in danger in the first place.

"30 seconds" Nunnally announced as the flower buds absorbed large amounts of sunlight.

'Just how much power does this chick have?' Laxus thought.

"15 seconds" All the things she did so far would no doubt use up an enormous amount of magic power, but despite all that, she didn't look the least bit worn out. "10..." Nunnally continued as she began to slowly walk towards Laxus. Laxus had known her for five years, yet she never showed any signs of the power she exhibited now. "9..." So why? "8..." Why now? "7..." Did she not want anyone to see her abilities? "6..." Or did she not see any reason to show them until now? "5..."

The light from the flowers was almost blinding. Laxus was even tempted to shut his eyes, it was so bright, but he wanted to see the strength of Nunnally's spell for himself. "4..." Nunnally Wallace... "3..." Just who... "2..." are... "1..." you? "Solar Cannon"

Suddenly, rays of intense light shot out from each Flower Cannon. The enormous amount of magic energy released all at once, completely obliterating Amalric in an instant. All that was left was a dark scorched outline on the tree that once held him. "So I was right..." Nunnally quietly whispered to herself—not loud enough for Laxus to hear.

Although he expected it, witnessing it in person was still quite shocking for Laxus to see. He didn't think, Nunnally, of all people, would be capable of something like that. Killing someone that is...

"Are you all right, Laxus?" Nunnally's voice snapped him back to reality. Her face leaned in close as she sat on her knees. The serious expression on her completely disappeared and was replaced with one of worry, and as she kneeled before him, his eyes widened a bit and blushed at the sight of her.

Seeing his embarrassed expression Nunnally realized something. "I'm sorry!" She immediately covered her breasts and held the hem of her dress down. It seemed that her new outfit was a bit on the transparent side, and the fact that she had absolutely no underwear on, left little to the imagination.

"A-aren't you going to change back!" Laxus yelled out of character.

"I-I apologize." She awkwardly smiled. "I'd like nothing more, but I'm afraid that it does not work that way." Her smiling face conflicted with how red she was; she seemed to be forcing it instead.

"What do you mean?" Laxus looked back at her before immediately looking away.

He could feel Nunnally's fidgeting body, despite having his head turned away. "You see... the plant that swallowed me before was one of my carnivorous plants. Their acids always tend wear away all my clothing, so I'm given these in their stead."

"So that means..."

"I won't be able to change. It's quite embarrassing, but it's the only way I'm able to use that spell." The true power of Nunnally's spell lies in the wooden sticks. Modesty is just a small sacrifice to obtain it. "I truly loathe this spell…" Nunnally whispered to herself.

Laxus slightly turned his head back to look at Nunnally's face. Although it wasn't the time for it, seeing her embarrassed expression made Laxus' heart race, but sadly for him, her expression suddenly turned serious even though her blush did not falter one bit. "I apologize." Her sudden apology caught him off guard, but she continued. "I'll remove the paralysis spell as soon as I make sure all of the poison is out of your system."

"Poison?" Laxus asked more confused than ever before.

Nunnally seemed surprised for a moment. "You didn't notice? That blade Amalric attacked you with was riddled with plant toxin. If you had continued to fight, the poison would have quickly taken effect. That's why I put this spell on you—to delay it."

Suddenly it hit Laxus. All the things Nunnally said, everything she did, she was doing it to protect him—from the train ride to now. He didn't deserve her kindness, yet she gave it to him anyways. Despite having said all those cruel and hurtful things to her, she went out of her way to help him. Laxus didn't quite understand how or what he felt except that he was beyond grateful.

"Laxus?" Nunnally called out, grabbing his attention. "Is something wrong? Perhaps it's the poison?"

Although he didn't feel it at first, the mention of poison did make him realize the effects it was having on his body. His breathing became heavier without him even noticing and not to mention the cut on his arm appeared more noticeable than before. "N-Nunnally..." He weakly called out.

"I knew it…" Nunnally said with absolute certainty as she placed her hand on his forehead as reassurance. "Please don't worry, Laxus. I'll find a way to counter the poison soon." Standing up, Nunnally quickly ran to grab the hair stick that was used to grow the tree that bound Amalric and flung it near where Laxus laid. This time, a different species of tree grew and shaded him. "Just please bear with it in the meantime." She loudly called before running off into the thicker part of the forest.

It wasn't until nightfall approached that Nunnally returned to see Laxus' condition growing worse. "This is bad…" She panted in exhaustion. Her entire body was covered in sweat and dirt from searching the forest floor for a cure, and despite the aching exhaustion she felt, Nunnally searched and searched until she found exactly what she sought. "Don't worry, Laxus. With this... you'll get better soon." She whispered as she held an unknown herb in her hand.

The next morning, Laxus slowly regained consciousness as he groaned from the aching pain. "What happened?" It wasn't until he turned his head that he saw Nunnally peacefully sleeping next to him. As the young girl laid on her side, facing him, Laxus quickly grew nervous.

With the paralysis spell removed and the poison now out of his system, he couldn't help but think of Nunnally's risqué clothing. Laxus wasn't a pervert, but with a pretty girl right next to him, he couldn't help but stare. "Definitely not a kid..." He whispered to himself just as Nunnally stirred from her slumber.

When she finally opened her eyes, Nunnally wearily sat up with a soft yawn. "We made it through the night. That's good..." Despite the relief she expressed, there was a look of utter exhaustion on Nunnally's face and the bags that formed under her eyes became even more noticeable. From the looks of it, she hardly got any sleep last night.

Her ominous words startled the Dragon Slayer. "Just what the hell happened last night?" He whispered as he sat up as well.

"Oh, Laxus. Good morning." Nunnally happily yet sleepily greeted. " I'm glad to see that you're feeling better, but you should probably get some more rest. It may be a bit more time before you're at a 100%."

"But..."

"Please don't worry." She reassured with a tired smile. "I'll prepare our meal in the meantime."

Just as Laxus was about to ask how she would do that with nothing eat in sight, Nunnally stood up and grabbed the wooden hair stick with a carving of grain. In the same manner as before, she flung it to the ground, but this time, many different edible plants grew. "I'll prepare us some tea!"

"Right... I forgot she's a plant mage." He said quietly. Being treated like an invalid didn't sit well with Laxus, but he didn't mind it since Nunnally was the one taking care of him. He wasn't annoyed with her at all like before. In fact, she kind of grew on him—even if she was a bit strange. Thinking this, he gently smiled as he watched her from a distance.

After their meal, Nunnally gave Laxus a serious look which made the 19-year-old quite uneasy. "W-What's wrong?" He nervously asked.

"Laxus…" She trailed off as she merely stared at the young man before finally working up the nerve to state her request. "There is something I'd like to discuss with you." Her grave tone got Laxus' full attention. "It is of great importance."

 _ **To Be Continued...**_


	3. Chapter 3: The Guardian of Elysium

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 03: The Guardian of Elysium**

* * *

"Laxus…" She trailed off as she merely stared at the young man before finally working up the nerve to state her request. "There is something I'd like to discuss with you." Her grave tone got Laxus' full attention. "It is of great importance."

He wasn't sure what Nunnally wanted to talk about, but since she seemed to be serious about it, Laxus felt obliged to listen to her. "Well, what do you want to talk about?"

"Laxus..." She hesitated with an averted gaze. "Do you... Do you believe we've completed our mission?"

Her question took Laxus completely off guard. He didn't understand why she would ask him something like that, but he knew that there must have been a reason. "Well, yeah." Laxus began as he thought back to what happened to Amalric. "You got rid of Psycho, right? He was the one that killed all those girls from town, but there shouldn't be any more problems now."

Nunnally gave a disheartened smile at his words. "I see..."

"Hey..." Something was definitely bothering Nunnally, but Laxus couldn't understand what. Everything was fine now, so why was she acting like this? "Is something wrong?"

She sat startled by his question for a moment, but quickly shook her head. "No, nothing is wrong." Nunnally reassured, reverting back to her normal meek self. "How about you return to town on your own?"

"Huh? But why?" Laxus questioned. He didn't really see a reason for them to head back separately, after all.

Nunnally paused for a moment as she fidgeted in place. "I just... don't feel comfortable walking around in public like this." She explained with a faint blush. Suddenly, Laxus quickly turned his head away, remembering what she had been wearing this whole time. "I'll return back home on my own."

"Y-You sure?" Laxus asked as he continued to look away.

"Yes, quite." She slowly replied before her body scattered into petals and blew away in a passing breeze.

Realizing something, Laxus reached out to her in an attempt to stop the young mage. "Hey, wait!" He sat still for a few moments before breathing out a heavy sigh. "What the heck was that about? First, she asks me that weird question, then she leaves in the blink of an eye. I really don't get her." Laxus looked up towards the sky with a ponderous expression. "Guess I should go claim our reward." He muttered to himself as he stood up before walking back to town.

Meanwhile, as Laxus headed back to Elysium Town, Nunnally had her own business to attend to. She planned on returning back home on her own but only after she **truly** completed the mission. There was something else going on in Elysium, and Amalric was only the beginning.

Materializing before a mighty tree, Nunnally carefully inspected it as she spoke to it in a solemn manner. "Were you the one who called to me back then?"

As she asked this, she recalled last night's events in vivid detail. After she left to find medicine for Laxus, Nunnally heard a weak voice call out for help. The moment she heard it, she immediately stopped dead in her tracks as she looked around for the source. Nunnally made it out to be a child's voice, but in her frantic state, she could have been wrong. Unfortunately, however, she was unable to investigate the source as Laxus' health had taken priority over everything else. _'I'm sorry... I'm sorry, but I can't help you! I have to save my friend!'_ Was all she thought as she ran desperately through the thick forest with regretful tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.

Now, standing before this source, Nunnally was certain that the true culprit behind these events laid here.

Nunnally then remembered back to when she used her Solar Cannon on Amalric. _Laxus was even tempted to shut his eyes, it was so bright, but he wanted to see the strength of Nunnally's spell for himself. "4... 3... 2... 1... Solar Cannon."_ The moment those rays struck Amalric's body, she instantly knew that something was wrong _. "So I was right..." Nunnally quietly whispered to herself—not loud enough for Laxus to hear._

"So it was you..." She softly whispered as slowly she made her way towards the tree's base. "You're hurting, aren't you? But please... don't do something like this." Even if you are, punishing others like this will only make everyone unhappy." Nunnally suddenly raised her voice as she pleaded. "SO PLEASE-" Suddenly, a strong gust of wind appeared, causing Nunnally to shield her face from the intense force. When the gale finally ceased, Nunnally looked up only to come face to face with a giant monster made entirely of vines as she heard its monstrous, screeching roar.

Back in Elysium Town, Laxus returned to Eugene's manor to claim his reward.

"I don't know how to thank you." Eugene teared up with a thankful smile before noticing Nunnally's absence. "Oh, but where's your partner? She isn't with you?"

"She already headed back home." Laxus began before he gave the old man a devious smirk. "Now about that reward..."

Mayor Eugene appeared frightened for brief a moment before becoming disheartened at Laxus' words. "Of course... You did get rid of the culprit, so I will pay you." Eugene weakly said as he walked off. "Although the original amount was 500,000 jewels..."

As Eugene walked away to get their reward, Laxus thought of Nunnally. He wondered if it was really okay to let her go home alone—especially considering how strange she acted before. "Maybe I'll just give her the reward." He quietly muttered to himself, thinking she earned it.

After finally giving Laxus the reward money, Eugene saw the young wizard out. "Safe travels back home!" He called out.

"Thanks, old man." Laxus smiled as he walked outside, leaving a grateful mayor. It was at that moment that a strong gust of wind blew from the direction of Elysium Forest. This left Laxus with an uneasy feeling as he stared back at that ancient land. "Nunnally..."

Nunnally had been in an all-out battle against this new opponent, but no matter how hard she fought, the situation seemed almost hopeless. This fiend's great vines chained Nunnally in its shackles, and although she attempted escape by scattering several times, each time she materialized, she ended up back right where she started—restrained.

"P-Please don't do this!" She begged as she struggled to break free. "I can hear you hurting, so, please! LET ME HELP YOU!"

The moment she said that lightning violently struck down from the sky—breaking Nunnally from her captor's grip.

"What the hell!? I thought you were going straight home!?" Laxus yelled as he walked toward them.

"Laxus!?" Nunnally called out, startled by his sudden appearance.

"So you think that just because you were able to handle that psychopath, you'd be able to handle this monster!? How stupid are you!?" He asked in an annoyed tone, but of course Laxus was piqued. After Nunnally ran off, he expected to head back home with no worries. The fact that he had to come save her like this isn't what irritated Laxus, though—he owed her that favor. It was her recklessness that did.

As Nunnally sat slightly injured on the ground, she looked up at Laxus with a few thankful tears. "Laxus... Thank you…" She had few injuries, but her heavy breathing and the blood on her hands and knees made it obvious how hard she worked to escape this monster's treacherous grasp.

Nunnally's grateful face caused Laxus to blush for a brief moment, but he quickly returned to his normal angry self when he focused his attention back to the enemy. "You know…" He glared. "It really pisses me off when someone picks on a girl for no reason, so if you're going to do it... YOU BETTER MAKE SURE I DON'T HEAR ABOUT IT!" He angrily yelled as lighting struck down at the monster once more, causing it to let out a harrowing screech.

Suddenly, Nunnally grabbed Laxus' sleeve with haste in an attempt to stop guildmate. "Please don't hurt him anymore, Laxus!"

"What the hell?" Laxus looked down at her with disbelief. He saw no reason for Nunnally to defend monster—especially when… "That thing was about to kill you!"

"BUT HE'S JUST A CHILD!" She quickly yelled back at him in desperation as she tugged at his arm once more.

"W-What?" Laxus immediately calmed down as his eyes grew wide at her words. It was a difficult thing to process. This thing? A child? No matter how Laxus looked at it, this thing was a monster. He couldn't understand how Nunnally could say otherwise without even a little hesitation. "What do you mean?"

Nunnally quickly released Laxus and walked towards the same fiend that attacked her. "I know you just wanted to play with someone, but please be more gentle." She scolded with a tired expression before she grabbed her arm in pain. "If you keep this up, someone is going to get hurt." Suddenly, the vine monster looked down, chastened, as if understanding the young mage.

All Laxus could do was stare in disbelief as Nunnally scolded the giant. "What the hell is going on here?" He whispered with wide eyes. "Hey!" Laxus angrily called out, grabbing Nunnally's attention. "Just what the hell is this!? I thought you were in danger!"

Nunnally looked down with shame. "I'm sorry for worrying you…" She didn't mean to upset Laxus. In fact, she didn't mean to get him involved at all, but, of course, it was just her luck that he did. Now she had to explain this mess to him, and that wasn't going to be easy, but getting the courage to speak, she lifted her head and looked at Laxus straight in the eye. "I-I am sorry, but please hear me out!" She then looked back at the giant as she continued to speak. "You see… This little one here just wanted someone to play with. He was the one who caused all the girls in town to disappear."

Laxus looked nervous for a moment. "This thing killed all those girls?"

Suddenly, Nunnally gave a small giggle at his words before she winced from the aching discomfort of her sore body. "No…" She continued as she gave a small relieved sigh at the passing pain. "Those girls were never in any real danger."

"What?" Laxus didn't know how to process any of this. If those girls were never killed, then just what did happen to them? Just as Laxus thought this, he suddenly remembered something. "Wait, what about that guy Amalric? He sure looked pretty proud of himself when he told us he killed those girls."

Nunnally gave a solemn look as she continued her explanation. "That was... just to scare everyone in town, wasn't it?" She asked the monster before it gave her a slow nod. "Sir Amalric... never existed. He was just an illusion created as a cry for attention."

"What the hell?"

"So please don't be mad at him! He didn't mean to cause so much trouble. He was simply hurt from being alone for so long" She pleaded before she quietly whispered something else—in hopes that Laxus wouldn't hear. "I can understand that…"

Laxus was at a complete loss for words. Seeing Nunnally plead like that made him feel terrible. That didn't mean that it was okay for that green beast to scare everyone, but Nunnally sure did have a way to guilt trip him. 'Damn it…' He painfully thought as he gave his guildmate a tired reply. "Alright..."

She then gave him her usual gentle smile. "Thank you, Laxus." Looking back at the giant, Nunnally continued speaking. "He's the guardian deity of this forest. Why don't you show us your true form?" She called out.

A few moments later, the gentle giant slowly vanished like an illusion, only to reveal a young white deer. "I'm really sorry for hurting you." The tiny deer apologized to Nunnally. Laxus couldn't believe it. Its soft, frail voice made him sound like a little boy and his tiny antlers made it obvious that this stag was as Nunnally said—a child. After his apology to Nunnally, the young buck turned to Laxus. "I'm sorry for hurting you too. I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble." He continued. "I just didn't like being alone. Everyone's forgotten me. They always used to play with me before, but then they all left. I just wanted to play..." The forgotten deity looked down in shame. "I thought everyone would remember me if someone scary showed up." Suddenly, the male deer looked at the two wizards with sorrowful eyes. "I thought that... maybe someone would ask for my help again."

A solemn silence ensued for a few moments, that is, until Laxus spoke up. "So why did you only target girls?" He asked with an irritated expression.

The tiny stag's face suddenly lit up at Laxus' words. "Because young girls are the best!" He answered as he nuzzled Nunnally's leg.

Nunnally gave a tiny embarrassed smile at the deity's actions, but the sight irritated Laxus even more. "This deer is really pissing me off..." He whispered to himself.

As Laxus glared at the two in annoyance, Nunnally suddenly kneeled down and gently grabbed the deity stag's snout as she spoke to him in a calm, soft manner. "I know you only wanted company after so many years of solitude, but you must let those young women return to their families."

The young deity looked at Nunnally with the innocence of a defenseless animal. He knew Nunnally's words were filled with truth. Even if he was forgotten, even if he was lonely, he had no right to torment the people of Elysium. Understanding this, the white stag gave Nunnally a tiny nod of guilt and regret. "Yes... I will..." He paused. "I promise..."

It was only a few words, but he gentleness in his eyes was enough for Nunnally to believe him.

Looking behind them, Nunnally and Laxus both left Elysium Forest together.

"Can we trust that deer?" Laxus asked as they walked home. Things resolved far too quickly for Laxus' taste, so he wasn't sure if the chaos truly ceased or if it merely calmed itself.

Nunnally stayed quiet for a few moments before her face formed a small, calm smile. "I don't see why not. He was just a lonely child." She reassured. "I highly doubt that Namu will bother anyone for a while."

"Namu? You named him?" Laxus replied in irritation.

The moment Laxus asked that, Nunnally looked up at him with an embarrassed smile. "T-That was his name. D-did I forget to mention that?"

As he looked at her embarrassed face, Laxus averted his gaze with a tiny blush. "I guess it doesn't matter now. It all worked out for the best, I guess."

"Oh, that reminds me..." Nunnally suddenly remembered. "How on earth did you know where to find me?" She curiously looked at him.

Looking at her only made Laxus' face flush, causing the blonde man to quicken his pace. "Never mind how I knew! Just be happy you're alright!"

The way he said this was completely out of character for Laxus, but Nunnally didn't say anything as she stopped in her tracks. She simply smiled as she watched at Laxus' back growing more and more distant. "Laxus... thank you."

The moment she whispered those words, Laxus quickly came to halt and looked back at her with a look of confusion. "Hey... aren't you coming?"

Nunnally blankly looked at him in silence. Despite the front Laxus put up from time to time, Nunnally believed him to be a genuinely nice guy. That, however, didn't change the fact that she found him quite frightening, but despite this thought, Nunnally silently thanked him before she gave him a bright smile. "I think... I'll return home on my own." She replied, just before scattering once more.

Her familiar disappearing act caused Laxus' eyes to widen before he tried to call out to her. "Hey! Wait!"

While the Elysium incident was now far behind them, it was only the beginning for these two.

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

 _ **In the Next Arc...**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey, guys, I'd like to thank you for reading the first story arc. I really appreciate it and would also appreciate you guys sticking around for the next arc. It's still a work in progress, but I hope I can write it. That is if I don't suffer from writer's block which would be really bad on my part, but I'll do my best!**

 **See you next time!**


	4. Chapter 04: The Gatō Gang

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 04: The Gatō Gang**

* * *

About four months after the Elysium incident, Nunnally and Laxus both returned to their daily lives while remaining quite distant from each other. But although distant, Laxus began to pay more to Nunnally around the guild.

He was often on the second floor of the guild hall, but would still casually glance at her from time to time, all the while noticing many things he never did before. He would notice how she would calmly sip her tea, seeming to ignore the fighting between some of the guild members around her. How distant she seemed from the others despite how polite and kind she was to them. But what he especially noticed, was the sad look Nunnally had every once in a while as she looked out the window.

One day, Laxus sat with the Thunder God Tribe (which had been created less than a year ago at the time). Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow were all well acquainted with each other, but still weren't very friendly with any of the other guild members. The three of them mostly kept things within their team and Laxus, who they swore to follow. And it was on that particular day that Bickslow seemed to be having a bit too much fun looking at the other guild members' souls.

"Honestly, what's so fun about looking at souls?" Evergreen said a bit condescendingly.

He simply smirked as usual as he looked around the guild hall. "Come on, you mean to tell me you wouldn't look if you got the chance? Although I'd rather be looking at-" He stopped abruptly.

"What's wrong?" Freed asked the now quiet Bickslow.

"Whoa, that's weird..." He simply said as he looked in Nunnally's direction.

Evergreen, now curious, spoke. "What is?"

"It's that Nunnally chick..." Bickslow began, drawing Laxus' attention at the name Nunnally. "Normally, I can see a person's soul just fine, but I can't see all of hers."

"What do you mean?" Freed asked.

"It's as if..." Bickslow looked a bit nervous as he spoke. "...part of it is missing."

"Missing! Missing!" His dolls echoed.

Evergreen was a bit skeptical of this. She had never heard of just part of a soul being missing. "Is that even possible?"

"How would know?!" He replied as he had never seen anything like it. "It's not like I've ever seen it happen before!"

Evergreen seemed a bit upset at his reply. "Well, then you're probably just imagining things." Her voice was its usual condescending tone, but she then got a little quiet as she whispered something else. "You aren't exactly perceptive..."

The moment she said that, Bickslow got angry. "What the heck is that supposed to mean! I'm just telling you what I saw!"

Laxus ignored their bickering as he glanced at Nunnally. Noticing the slightly troubled look on his face, Freed asked him if something was wrong, but Laxus simply glanced at him before casually looking at something else. "It's nothing."

The debate eventually died down between Evergreen and Bickslow, and they eventually forgot about it all, but the conversation weighed heavily on Laxus' mind. The mystery behind Nunnally's soul, however, would not be resolved until four years later when she turned 19. And in all those four years, Laxus never once forgot about it.

It wasn't until a week later, that Laxus overheard Nunnally and the Master discuss a new job she wanted to go on.

"Are you sure that you want to go on two jobs?' Makarov asked her uncertain. "I don't feel right letting you do this on your own."

"Please, don't worry, master. I'll be fine. Besides, this one is quite simple." Nunnally smiled, holding up the flyer trying to reassure him.

Makarov, however, still seemed uncertain as he sat on the bar counter. "But it's the other one I'm worried about... Are you absolutely sure you can handle it in Watercress Valley? I know you've been going on a lot more jobs these past few months, but I still can't help but worry about one of my children."

"I understand your concern, Master, but, please, don't worry." She said as her smile softened. "I promise I won't do anything rash."

Sighing, Makarov gave in. "I suppose I have no choice. Just be careful."

Nunnally nodded. "I'll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning. Goodnight, Master." She bowed politely just before going home to prepare. As she walked away, Laxus stared blankly at her. "She's going on another job..." He subconsciously said aloud before looking down in deep thought. "Watercress Valley, huh?"

The next morning, Nunnally set off on her own and boarded the morning train to her destination—Watercress Valley. Watercress Valley was situated far past Mango Village. The walk to the valley was quite a journey on its own, but could only be reached by foot. If she wanted to reach it quickly, she would need to get off the train at Mango Village—the closest destination. But little did she know, Laxus had boarded the same train while using a certain remedy to make the trip a bit more 'bearable'.

"Just why did she have to take a train?" He whispered feeling ill as he glanced at her several seats behind him.

Nunnally, on the other hand, was quietly sipping the tea that the train cart offered her. She seemed content as she inhaled its aroma, but suddenly a serious expression formed on her face. Laxus couldn't tell what she was thinking so deeply about, but he assumed it must have had something to do with her mission.

Even as noon came about, the two were still quite a bit ways off from their destination, but when they reached Gourd Town, the halfway point, Nunnally disembarked from the train with several other passengers, catching Laxus off guard. He assumed she would ride all the way to Mango Village, but seeing Nunnally get off, he followed suit.

Suddenly Laxus sighed. "Just what am I doing?" If anyone found out that he was secretly following Nunnally, he wouldn't be able to live it down. But the thought of her in danger, made him inept. He wasn't even the type to chase after a girl like this, but he just couldn't help it.

He had trouble keeping up with her as she kept going in and out of many different stores but seemed to not have bought anything. It wasn't until the last store she visited that Nunnally came out with what seemed to be long poles wrapped in cloth tied to her back, "What's that for?" He had no idea what exactly was in the cloth, but took his best guess at it. As he wondered this, Laxus noticed Nunnally making her way out of town instead of going back to the station.

Nunnally seemed to not have noticed that Laxus was tailing her. She merely went about her business as the young man watched from a distance. "How troubling..." She whispered as she reached a fork in the road. "Which way should I go?" There was no way of telling which path was best as there weren't any signs around and forest on all sides. She also gave up on the idea of scattering as she looked at the cargo she carried on her back. Instead, she took a guess by moving her finger back and forth indecisively before eventually settling on the left path.

After hours of walking, Nunnally grew weary from her journey. She never had much stamina when walking to begin with. The only reason how she had been able to get through the guild's annual 24-hour endurance race the past three years she had to compete, was all because of her scatter technique. If it weren't for that, she wouldn't have lasted long.

"Honestly..." Nunnally began as she continued walking through forest. "If I had known that I would grow this tired so quickly, I would have brought along some tea."

Laxus, who still tailed her, overheard this. "Tea?" He looked away in disbelief. "Wait... now that I think about it... almost every single time I've seen her... she's had a cup of tea on hand. Is that what gives her strength?" He looked back at her as he questioned this.

Not a second later, Nunnally collapsed to her knees in complete exhaustion. "I don't think I can go on..." She said a bit dramatically. "It's going to get dark soon too. If I don't find lodging soon..." Suddenly as if in a desperate attempt, Nunnally clasped her hands together and began to yell to the heavens. "OOLONG, GREEN, MILK, JASMINE! I'LL TAKE ANYTHING! ANYTHING! ANNNYYYTHIIING!"

As she continued yelling, she suddenly she heard a loud noise which startled her. Laxus, who had hid behind a tree from a distance, had subconsciously punched it, breaking through the bark. "For some reason I'm irritated..." Sighing, he continued. "I-I'll just pretend I didn't hear any of that."

"Well look what we have here!" A man's voice called out. Both Laxus and Nunnally turned their heads towards the source. Right in front of Nunnally was a group of thugs, and by the looks of it, they weren't just out for a walk. Each man wore an intimidating smirk and had a dangerous weapon on hand. "What's a cutie like you doing out in the forest alone?"

Nunnally, who was still on the ground, slowly rose up and spoke. "W-who are you?"

"You don't have to worry. We're not dangerous; we won't do anything bad. Right guys?" The man, who looked to be the leader, turned to his friends, trying to get them to play along.

"Yeah, that's right."

"Yeah, we're good guys."

Laxus, who witnessed the situation quickly developed, grew angrier every passing second. He knew those men weren't going to leave her alone. But just as he was about to come to her rescue, he smelled something sweet.

"Truly?" Nunnally said softly as she slowly clasped her hands together once more. Laxus looked at the innocence in her face before a small, devious smile formed. "I'm glad..." Her tone was different from before—a bit sly. As if she had something up her sleeve.

Not noticing this change in her, the thug leader continued to speak. "Yeah, well..." He trailed off in a daze. All of the men looked as if they were in a trance.

"Just like before..." Laxus whispered, remembering back to the Elysium incident. Amalric was in a daze just like this. The scent now was different from back then but seemed to have the same effect. Even from a distance, the calming effect worked a bit on Laxus like it did those thugs as he wasn't as angry.

Unexpectedly, however, this new fragrance had another effect. Not even a minute after the thugs were in their dazed state, they quickly snapped out of it. However...

"Oh, no!" The thug leader exclaimed. "We can't have a young girl like you wandering these woods alone!" The threatening aura completely disappeared from the thug leader—from all of the members. "Alright men! New mission! We're going to escort this young lady here out of these woods, you hear!" He yelled enthusiastically.

"Sir!" All the men simultaneously exclaimed.

"Alright, please come with us miss. We'll guide you out." The leader said protectively. "I'm Gatō by the way. Over there is Kenshi, Kōga, Takuya, Daiki, and Tsubasa.

"It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am!" They all bowed in unison.

"Oh my, what a polite bunch you are." Nunnally said innocently. "I am Nunnally Wallace. Please take care of me." She bowed in returned "But I do hope I'm not too much of a bother." She held a palm to her cheek as she looked at the men with a worried expression.

"No bother, Miss. We're just happy to help!" Gatō reassured.

"So its real effects work close range, huh? Although..." Laxus, still in hiding, looked at the group with a scowling face. "Why am I more irritated than before?"

As the group made their way through the forest. Kenshi asked Nunnally a question. "By the way, Miss, where are you headed that you'd travel through these woods all alone?"

Nunnally smiled gently as she began to speak. "I'm headed to Iris Village. There's been a drought in the area and all their crops have withered. I'm hoping my plant magic could be of some use to the people there.

"You're a wizard?" Takuya asked surprised. "Man, you're one impressive little lady!"

"You flatter me, but I'm nothing special." Nunnally replied embarrassed.

Gatō quickly interjected. "That's not true! You'd risk your life to go to help people in need. That's more than impressive!"

Nunnally was surprised by his words. Of course she knew she would be helping the people of Iris Village from starving, but she never thought that she was risking her life for it. "R-Risking my life? That's a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?"

"Any girl who travels alone is always risking her life." Gatō looked at her seriously. "Please remember that."

Instead of replying, Nunnally merely looked ahead of her in deep thought. 'Perhaps, I overdid it with that new fragrance. His sense of integrity is a bit overwhelming.' "It's not what I expected." She accidentally said out loud.

"Did you say something, Miss Nunnally?" Gatō asked naïvely.

Startled, Nunnally nervously spoke. "T-The progress I've made on my journey. I-It's not what I expected." 'I made its effects strong enough to last several days. However, I didn't expect for the effects itself to be this powerful.'

"Oh?"

She nodded. "Yes, I had hoped to make it to Iris Village by nightfall, but it seems that I underestimated the distance." That wasn't a complete lie. Nunnally didn't think that the journey to Iris village was so long, so her childish expectations embarrassed her. "And now it seems I have no lodging arrangements."

"Oh, if that's all you're worried about... No need to fear!" Gatō grinned happily while giving a thumbs up. "The Gatō gang will be more than happy to accommodate you, Miss!"

Nunnally was touched by his offer. "A-are you certain? I don't want to impose on you."

"You don't need to worry about that, Miss Nunnally. Our gang's cabin is just outside this forest." Tsubasa reassured her. "It may not be much, but it's better than sleeping outside."

"Thank you all." Nunnally said, grateful for their generosity.

Although Nunnally was happy she had a place to stay the night, Laxus, on the other hand, was not so thrilled. He knew that those guys meant no harm to her now, but the thought of her in a place full of men was more than irritating.

"For some reason, I have a headache..." Laxus quietly said to himself as he watched Nunnally enjoy dinner with the Gatō Gang in their cabin from afar.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **When I wrote this, I did feel kind of bad for Laxus, but when you think that he's being overprotective by playing a stalker you kind of tend to overlook that and think, "Creep" instead, but I like Laxus. He's actually my second favorite character. My first favorite being his grandfather, Makarov. I mean, who doesn't love that guy?**

 **Who's your favorite character? Please post in the comments and thanks for reading!**

 **See you next time!**


	5. Chapter 05: The Puppet Master Appears!

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 05: The Puppet Master Appears!**

* * *

The next morning, Nunnally said her farewells to Gatō and his gang and headed straight to Iris Village.

"Good luck!" Gatō called out to her as the rest waved goodbye. "And if you ever need anything, you can always come to us!"

"Thank you so much!" She waved, looking back at them as she walked.

As soon as Nunnally was far enough, Nunnally properly headed straight to Iris Village and remembered back to just a little while ago.

 _"I apologize again for imposing on you all." She apologized._

 _"Don't be ridiculous! We should be thanking you." Gatō spoke energetically._

 _Nunnally was confused by his words. "Thanking me?" Why on earth would he be thanking her?_

 _"We don't know what it is, but for some reason, from the moment we met you, every one of us had completely re-evaluated our life goals." He elaborated._

 _"Your life goals?"_

 _Gatō nodded. "Truth is, we've all done some pretty bad things in the past." All the men, including Gatō, looked down in shame. "We've hurt a lot of good people for our own selfishness, but now we want to atone for those bad deeds." With resolve in his eyes, Gatō looked up with a happy grin. "We're going to do everything we can to make it up to everyone! Right boys!" He exclaimed looking back at his men._

 _"YEAH!"_

Nunnally smiled to herself as she kept walking. "Although I did mess up when making this," She said as she held up a vial above her head. "I'm glad it was able to make someone happy. However... I still have to dispose of it. It's just too powerful to use so carelessly. I'll have to start again from scratch." Nunnally looked down in disappointment. "And I worked so hard on this fragrance too..."

Laxus, still hidden, watched Nunnally as she kept walking to Iris Village. "Guess it all worked out for the best." He smiled. "Maybe I should just head back. She looks like she'll be fine on her own, but..." Laxus stopped smiling as he remembered something.

 _"Please, don't worry, master. I'll be fine. Besides, this one is quite simple." Nunnally smiled, holding up the flyer trying to reassure him._

 _Makarov, however, still seemed uncertain as he sat on the bar counter. "But it's the other one I'm worried about. Are you absolutely sure you can handle it in Watercress Valley?"_

Looking up at the sky concerned, Laxus continued. "Gramps looked pretty worried about something. What the hell is in Watercress Valley anyways?"

It took a while, but Nunnally finally made it to Iris Village. Laxus, on the other hand, decided to quit following Nunnally for now and go on ahead to Mango Village and wait until she arrived.

As Nunnally walked through the village, she noticed the barren fields. It seemed that the villagers made several attempts to grow crops, but hadn't been successful.

Getting closer to inspect the soil, Nunnally bent down and grabbed a handful of dirt. "I won't have any problems using my magic, but it's no wonder they haven't been able to grow a successful harvest." The soil was lacking in several nutrients—obviously done by over farming. "Just what were these people thinking?"

"Are you from Fairy Tail?" A woman's voice called out to Nunnally from behind.

Nunnally stood up and turned around. "Yes, that's correct. My name is Nunnally Wallace." The woman before her was young, most likely in her early 20s.

Hearing this, the young woman sighed in relief. "Thanks for coming. I'm Carmen."

Nunnally nodded before getting down to business. "I understand your village's crops have been failing?"

Carmen gave out another sigh, but this time in exasperation. "That's right. My grandpa used to be the one to handle this, but he died a few years back. Now my father been taking care of all the crops here, and, well, you can see how that's going." There was nothing but withered plants in the fields. "It's not like the villagers here don't know how to grow crops, it's just that we don't know why they haven't been doing so well lately."

"I can advise you if you would like, but right now it's best if we address the problem at hand." Nunnally said as she looked back to the fields.

Nodding, Carmen took out a sheet of paper. "A lot of the villagers here aren't able to afford to buy food all time, so these crops are really important to us. This is a list of what we need."

Nunnally took the list and inspected it. There we're lots of vegetables and grains that these people needed, but it didn't seem much of a problem for her. As she was done inspecting, Nunnally looked up at Carmen and spoke. "I won't have any problems on my end, but do you mind gathering the villagers here. I would prefer if they watched.

With a relieved smile on her face, Carmen agreed and gathered every villager. Nunnally would grow what they needed, but what these people really needed was a lesson in agriculture. She explained that the soil lacked important nutrients, and the many and most effective ways to bring those nutrients back. As she finished her task and lecture, all the villagers thanked her for her good work and advice.

After the villagers thanked her, Carmen walked up to Nunnally. "Thanks again. I guess using fertilizer alone isn't enough to grow plants." She spoke embarrassed. "To think I'm supposed to be a farmer's daughter..."

"You don't need to thank me. I'm just glad to have been of use." Nunnally smiled. "I'll send some more detailed notes at a later date. For now, just do what I told you, and the nutrients will gradually return to the soil."

"You really are a life saver. Even my dad thought so, and he's the most pig headed man you'll meet."

Nunnally and Carmen giggled at that.

"Well, I suppose I should get going now." Nunnally spoke. "May I ask where the nearest train station is? I didn't realize Gourd Town was quite the distance from here.

"Are you going back to Magnolia?"

Nunnally shook her head. "Mango Village actually. I have something important I need to take care of before heading home."

Carmen looked surprised for a moment, but smiled. "That's pretty far from here, but I think you'd get there faster if you head to the station in next town over. It's not that far a walk, but I can ask one of the villagers to take you by carriage if you want.

"Are you certain it won't be too much trouble?" Nunnally asked uncertain.

"We're friends now, aren't we?" Carmen smiled happily at her. "Besides, you helped us out a ton with your magic. It's the least we can do."

Nunnally was still a bit hesitant, but complied. "If you really don't mind, then I will take your offer."

Soon enough, Nunnally departed, leaving Iris Village. But after she left, Carmen pondered something. "I wonder what that thing strapped to her back was for?" After several minutes of thinking seriously, however, Carmen's brain blew a fuse. "My head hurts..."

Several hours later, Nunnally finally made it into town and boarded the train straight to Mango Village. However, it wasn't until morning that the train reached its destination.

Mango Village was quite peaceful to the average observer, and even though it was called a village, it was more like a small city. It was an easygoing place and much didn't happen in regards to other places. It was... just a simple village after all.

Laxus had waited for Nunnally for some time and was getting of bit tired of waiting as he walked around. "Man, just how long is she going keep me waiting... Huh?" Just as he said this, Laxus spotted Nunnally turning a corner and freaked out before quickly hiding behind a nearby tree. He noticed Nunnally turn towards his direction, but luckily, she didn't spot him.

"That was close..." He sighed. Making sure not to be spotted, Laxus carefully peeked his head out to check if Nunnally was still there. But as soon as he did, he saw her coming his way and immediately hid again. "Crap!" He roughly whispered. "If she sees me here, she's going to think I'm some sort of creepy stalker!"

Nunnally, however, didn't notice Laxus. Instead, she walked out of Mango Village and headed straight to Watercress Valley.

Getting to Watercress Valley was a long journey and a difficult one too. Large amounts of water accumulated over several decades causing the land to become unstable. Stepping in the wrong place could cause the ground to sink. Nunnally, though, had her own plan to get to her destination. If she had the right plant, the ground would stabilize enough for to her to walk right across.

"Lily Pad!" Nunnally exclaimed before a walkway of lily pads grew. This spell was perfect for walking across marshlands and areas with lots of water. All Nunnally needed to do was walk across.

The closer Nunnally got to Watercress Valley the more stable the ground was. And although it was a long journey, she finally reached the valley entrance. It was a narrow path that allowed people to enter rather than climbing the surrounding mountains. And it was just past this gap that the Nunnally's true mission would begin.

Lately, there had been reports of a dangerous wizard in Watercress Valley, and after someone disappeared when they entered, the wizard guilds were notified.

"HAHAHAHA!" A girl's voice echoed soon after Nunnally entered the valley. "That was fast. I didn't think anyone would dare show their face to me. You sure got a lot of guts for a big-boobed-bimbo."

Nunnally couldn't tell where the voice's owner was. All she could do was be on guard as she cautiously looked around. "I take it you're Irma the Puppet Master?"

"You sure do your homework." Irma's voice echoed once more before she jumped down from a tree, revealing herself to be a petite young girl around Nunnally's age. "But coming from someone like you..." She paused before smiling deviously. "…that doesn't mean much."

Nunnally gasped surprised. "You're..."

Irma simply smirked arrogantly as she continued. "What's wrong? Too stunned for words?"

"You're..." Nunnally repeated. "...so cute!"

Irma fell to the ground in frustration. "I don't want to be called cute by the likes of you!" She yelled as she immediately got back up.

"I'm sorry." Nunnally apologized. "It's just that you look just like a porcelain doll." It wasn't a lie that Irma looked like a doll. Her fair skin, short, red hair, and, not to mention, small stature made Irma... well... childlike...

Irma scoffed irritated. "Forget this." She said as the bag across Nunnally's shoulder and cargo on her back floated in midair.

"My bag!" Nunnally exclaimed.

"What? You thought I won't recognize a plant mage when I see one?" Irma said arrogantly. "Please. All I have to do is take away anything you're carrying, and you're helpless."

'This is bad...' Nunnally thought. 'My bag contains most of the equipment I use for my spells.'

"Well, it's been fun knowing you. NOT. But I think it's time for you to go straight into the ground." Irma said before her two life sized puppets appeared. "Say goodbye."

Nunnally couldn't do much in this situation. She would normally use aromatherapy to sedate her opponents, but without her bag, she couldn't. All she could do was dodge Irma's puppets which were both equipped with sharp, menacing blades. If they got too close, Nunnally would use her scatter technique.

"Stop moving around so much will you!" Irma yelled frustrated as she flailed her arms around, controlling the strings.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that." Nunnally apologized before using a spell. "Rope vine!" Several vines immediately shot out from the ground focused on Irma, but her puppets quickly cut them down.

"So you can still use some magic. Too bad it's so weak." Irma slyly smiled. "Just give up. You'll never beat me."

Finally backed up against a tree, Nunnally froze, and Irma saw this as her chance. "SAY GOODNIGHT!"

Irma focused both her puppet's blades on Nunnally, but suddenly, a lightning bolt struck down, completely destroying the two wood figures.

"Laxus..." Nunnally whispered.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**


	6. Chapter 06: Laxus' Resolve

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 06: Laxus' Resolve**

* * *

"SAY GOODNIGHT!"

Irma focused both her puppet's blades on Nunnally, but suddenly, a lightning bolt struck down, completely destroying the two wood figures.

"Laxus..." Nunnally whispered.

Right before Nunnally's eyes was Laxus who seemed to have come at the perfect time.

"Sorry I'm late. I was... a bit preoccupied." He said glaring at Irma with a forced smile as he remembered almost sinking into the ground on the way over.

"Laxus, what are you doing? You have to get out of here!" Nunnally warned. "She can control more than just puppets!"

"Hey-"

Laxus looked back at her confused. "What the hell are you taking about?"

"Hello-"

"She's a puppet master. It doesn't matter if you destroy the puppets! Her magic string is the problem!" Nunnally explained.

"Listen-"

Laxus, however, still didn't understand what Nunnally was trying to say. "Just what does string have to do with it?"

"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP!" Irma angrily yelled, finally breaking their conversation. "Not only do you destroy my precious creations and ignore me, but you even bother to rescue THAT big-boobed-bimbo?!" She continued as she pointed at Nunnally.

"Big-boobed..." Nunnally trailed off embarrassed.

"Bimbo?" Laxus questioned. "Hey..." He looked at Irma coldly.

"Yes?" Irma asked as she puffed up her cheeks.

"Who are you?"

Irma immediately fell down again in exasperation. "SERIOUSLY?!" She angrily yelled as she quickly got up. "I'm Irma! The Puppet Master? Just who the hell do you think that big-boobed-bimbo was talking about?!"

"She said it again..." Nunnally looked down in shame.

Scoffing, Irma continued. "Forget this! You've really made me angry now! So now you'll become my puppet!"

Invisible strings quickly latched onto Laxus' body, restraining him. "What the hell?! Why can't I move?!"

"You know I just thought of something really fun. Since you came to rescue your girlfriend, how about I make you hurt her instead?" Irma smiled with malice in her voice.

Just then Laxus' body moved on its own and tried to punch Nunnally, but, thankfully, she dodged it.

Nunnally, in an attempt to release Laxus from Irma's control, tried to cast a spell to cut the strings, but was interrupted by Irma.

"Uh-uh-uh." She began playfully. "If you try to use your magic, I'll have no choice but to hurt this hunk." Suddenly, Irma's playful tone turned angry. "Now be a good girl and accept your punishment!"

Laxus made another strike at Nunnally but missed again.

This routine carried on for what felt like hours to them. All the moving around was taking a toll on Nunnally, and it didn't seem like she would last much longer to Laxus.

"Stop avoiding the inevitable, and just face your punishment!" Irma yelled at Nunnally as she desperately dodged Laxus' blows.

Nunnally's stamina was at an all-time low at this point. If this battle continued on, she might collapse.

Suddenly, Irma stopped Laxus' movements. "What's with you?" Irma asked Nunnally with confusion and disbelief in her face. "I know I told you that you can't use your magic, but don't you get it? You'll die if you don't."

Nunnally had her back up against a tree as she tried to catch her breath. "Y-You're right... "She began, still breathing heavily.

Irma was caught off guard. "Huh?"

"I said, you're right." Nunnally repeated louder. "But it doesn't matter what you do to me. I refuse to hurt a comrade!" She continued as she looked at Irma with serious eyes. "Do what you want to me, but if you hurt Laxus..." Nunnally's voice became cold. "I'll never forgive you."

"Nunnally..." Laxus whispered. For the past few months, Laxus tried to figure out if he was really in love with her. After all, it could have just been a small crush that would have subsided with time, but Nunnally's resolve confirmed his feelings for her.

Irma became both irritated and embarrassed by Nunnally's words. "You know... you really piss me off!" She angrily yelled with small tears in her forming in her eyes. "I'm gonna end you right here and now!" Irma whipped her arms around violently and Laxus' body began to move in for the kill—aiming straight for her head.

Still up against a tree, Nunnally closed her eyes in fear. "NOW DIE!" She heard Irma yell, but nothing struck her. "B-But how?!"

Nunnally slowly opened her eyes to see that Laxus' hand purposely missed her. Instead, he broke through the tree bark right beside her head. "Laxus..." Nunnally whispered frightened.

"You said you wouldn't hurt comrade..." Laxus said before he whispered something inaudibly. "Is that all I am?"

Nunnally looked at him confused. "Huh?"

"H-How did you break free from my control? That's impossible!" Irma asked, scared. "Just how strong of a will do you have?!"

"You know... I wouldn't have minded so much, except for the fact that you almost made me hurt Nunnally." Laxus glared back at Irma as he seemed to have regained full control of his body. "I don't really like hurting girls, but I think I'll make an exception this time."

The angry expression on Laxus' face freaked Irma out. She looked about ready to run away, but then a bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, shocking her. "Aaaahhh!" Irma screamed before she fell to the ground. "That hurt..." Her body twitched before she passed out.

"Annoying girls like her should just keep their mouths shut." Laxus grumbled as he looked back at Nunnally. "Hey, you okay?" The difference in treatment between Irma and Nunnally was really big. He found Irma irritating and annoying, so he could hardly care less about her. Nunnally, on the other hand, he would treat like a princess.

"Yes, I'm fine." Nunnally answered with a pained smile as she slid down against the tree's trunk. "I'm just a bit tired."

Laxus sighed relieved and sat down before looking back at Irma irritated.

"But more importantly Laxus..." Nunnally began as her light aura turned dark. "What are you doing here?"

Her question and cold demeanor made Laxus nervous and look away, trying to avoid eye contact. "I-I was in the area..."

Not buying it, Nunnally continued. "You shouldn't lie to me, Laxus. If you wish to follow me, you should not use a fragrance I created."

'She knew from the very beginning?!' Laxus thought as he began to make excuses. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Honestly..." Nunnally sighed. "I was hoping you would return home on your own after the way I acted in the woods, but to think that you would come all the way here."

'So she said all those embarrassing things to get rid of me?' He thought as he remembered back to the woods near Gourd Town. _Nunnally collapsed to her knees in exhaustion. "I don't think I can go on..." She said a bit dramatically. "It's almost going to get dark soon too. If I don't find lodging soon..." Suddenly, as if in a desperate attempt, Nunnally clasped her hands together and began to yell to the heavens. "OOLONG, GREEN, MILK, JASMINE! I'LL TAKE ANYTHING! ANYTHING! ANNNYYYTHIIING!"_ 'That was all an act?'

"It seems that Master Makarov still doesn't trust me." Nunnally sorrowfully said, catching Laxus off guard.

"The old man?" Laxus questioned, surprising Nunnally.

"Didn't Master send you to keep an eye on me?" She genuinely asked.

This was a perfect chance to clear things up and tell her how he felt about her. "Actually..." He answered nervously before remembering something. " _I refuse to hurt a comrade! Comrade! Comrade! Comrade!"_ 'Comrade...' He thought as he hung his head depressed. "Yeah, the old man sent me..."

Nunnally could sense something was bothering Laxus. "Laxus, is something the matter?"

"Everything's fine..." He quickly replied with a dull, depressed tone.

Just as Nunnally was about to press the issue, she saw Irma regain consciousness. "What happened...?" Irma tiredly asked as she sat up. However, when she saw Laxus, she quickly backed away, frightened. "Don't hurt me!"

"Huh?" Laxus seemed confused by her frightened expression. "Why the hell are you so scared?"

"How could you forget?!" Irma yelled frustrated. "You shot me with lightning!"

"Oh yeah..." Laxus seemed to have remembered before turning away nonchalantly. "I forgot about you."

"Why you..." Irma had many things to say to Laxus, but kept quiet in fear of being struck down by lightning again.

"Irma, where is the man who disappeared here?" Nunnally asked, getting back to her mission.

"Huh? What the heck are you talking about? I was just up here training." Irma replied confused before remembering something. "Oh, you mean that guy? I sent him packing after he made fun of my chest!"

Both Laxus and Nunnally were caught off guard by her answer. "What all guys only seem to want is big-boobed-bimbos like you!" She continued angrily as she pointed at Nunnally. "So you and your boyfriend can just leave me alone and go back home!"

"Boyfriend?" Nunnally asked surprised. "Y-You think Laxus and I are dating? That is insulting to him, so please apologize. We are only friends." She adamantly said, thinking she was helping Laxus.

The word 'friends' was like piercing an arrow through Laxus' chest. 'She shot me down before I even got the chance to ask...' He thought with hurt feelings.

Irma perked up at Nunnally's words. "Seriously?! So you mean I might have a chance with you?!" She said, anxiously looking at Laxus.

"HELL NO." He immediately replied without even giving a second thought.

"I guess you only like big boobs too..." Irma looked down depressed.

Irma's words left Laxus in a predicament. If he said he did, he would seem like a pervert, but if he said no, Nunnally would have even more reason to think he's not interested in her. Instead, he kept quiet as he looked away embarrassed.

"He didn't say no!" Irma cried depressed as she covered her face with both hands.

"Hey! Don't make me out to be like some kind of pervert!" Laxus yelled at her, frustrated. 'This girl really ticks me off…'

"Where is that man who you sent away now?" Nunnally asked, ignoring their conversation.

"How should I know?" Irma looked away pouting. "He probably ran off somewhere with some girl with big boobs. Men like him can just rot for all I care!"

Nunnally sighed. "It looks like I failed my mission."

"Huh? I thought you had to take this annoying girl out." Laxus said as he pointed his thumb back at Irma.

"I'm right here you know!" She yelled annoyed.

"My job was to arrest the wizard responsible for that missing man's disappearance, but now I don't have any leads." Nunnally replied before turning to Irma. "Irma, I apologize for bothering you."

Irma didn't look at Nunnally, she just looked away pouting. "I don't need an apology from my rival."

"Since when are you two rivals?" Laxus asked annoyed. "Weren't you trying to kill her just a few minutes ago?"

"I refuse to lose to that big-boobed-bimbo!" Irma began arrogantly. "I'm gonna make you fall in love with me before she does!"

Irma's confidence annoyed Laxus to the core. 'You've already lost...' He thought silently to himself.

"Um... do your best, Irma!" Nunnally cheered a bit confused.

"Don't cheer her on!" Laxus scolded as he stood up and held out his hand to her. "Come on, let's go home.

Nunnally nodded before taking it.

In the end, Nunnally and Laxus returned home, leaving Irma to her training. Several weeks later however...

"Laxus, I'm here!" Irma cried out as she barged into the guild hall. "I won't lose to that bimbo today!"

"Man, you sure are popular, Laxus!" Bickslow cheered patting his best buddy's back.

"She isn't going to leave me alone is she?" Laxus whispered as he felt another headache coming on.

Nunnally simply sipped her tea with a small smile as she watched them from a distance. "Everyone seems so lively today."

And what about the thing Nunnally bought in Gourd Town? That was just some gardening tools. She really loves plants after all!

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 ** _In the Next Arc..._**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! I just wanted to thank all of you for your support! I've had this story locked up in my head for quite some time now, and it's because of all of you great fans that I have the motivation to actually write it, so thank you!**

 **On a side note: the Thunder God Tribe will definitely have more screen time the next few chapters, so read on!**

 **See you next time!**


	7. Chapter 07: The Thunder God Tribe

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 07: The Thunder God Tribe's Loyalty**

* * *

About nine months passed since the Elysium incident which meant it had been nine months since Laxus fell in love with Nunnally, and as of late, the Thunder God Tribe noticed something was seriously wrong with Laxus.

"Hey, is it just me or does Laxus seem depressed?" Evergreen whispered to Bickslow and Freed.

"Now that you mention it..." Bickslow began. "He does seem a bit weird lately."

"Yes, I agree. Something seems to be troubling him." Freed added.

They all looked at Laxus who sat by himself. "Friends..." He blankly trailed off as he looked out the window.

"You think it's a girl?" Bickslow suddenly asked, still looking at Laxus.

Evergreen smiled happily at the thought of it. "That's so cute! Getting depressed over a girl!" She excitedly exlaimed before turning away in deep thought. "But I wonder who it could be?"

While Evergreen was thrilled that Laxus had a crush on someone, Freed, on the other hand, was shocked that he didn't notice what his dear friend was going through. The Thunder God Tribe had been away on jobs for a while, and whenever they came back to the guild, Laxus was away on his own mission. Because of this, it made sense that they only recently noticed Laxus' heartache.

"You don't think that it's that Irma chick that keeps coming here do you?" Bickslow wondered curious.

"Anyone can see that it's not." Evergreen immediately replied with an annoyed look, disturbed by the thought. "It must be someone as dignified and refined as myself."

Bickslow cracked up at her words. "That's a laugh!"

"And just what's so funny?!" Evergreen yelled at him angrily.

"That you're dignified and refined!"

As the two continued arguing, Freed spoke up, startling them. "Bickslow, Evergreen. I believe it's imperative that we find out who is on Laxus' mind. If nothing is done, he just may stay like this." The three of them looked back at Laxus with worried expressions.

"Yeah..." With looks of embarrassment, Evergreen and Bickslow agreed.

For the next several days, each member of the Thunder God Tribe took turns tailing Laxus to find out who this mystery woman could be. Thus, Freed, as Laxus' most loyal follower, took the first watch.

"Well, how'd it go?" Evergreen asked Freed as she and Bickslow sat in a café.

"He seemed to be deep in thought as he strolled through town, but I couldn't find anything of great importance." Freed answered as he stood by their table. A moment later, each of them hung their heads in failure.

The next day...

"Alright leave this to me!" Bickslow said with his usual smile before getting ready to tail Laxus next.

Several hours later, however, Bickslow returned to rendezvous with the others with a frown on his face.

"Well?" Freed questioned.

Bickslow blushed a bit before speaking. "I... I got distracted."

"By some pretty girls no less." Evergreen added, annoyed at his lack of focus.

Not a moment later, they all hung their heads once again from failure.

Several days later...

"Well, it looks like I have to be the one to solve things! You two just sit back and watch." Evergreen haughtily said.

"Good luck" Freed wished her well.

"Better not get caught!" Bickslow joked.

Unlike Freed and Bickslow, Evergreen was determined to find out who Laxus was in love with by any means.

"Alright!" She quietly cheered herself on as she hid in an alleyway. "You won't get this past me, Laxus. I'll find out who you're in love with!"

Noticing Laxus stand nearby at a woman's magazine stand, Evergreen closed in behind a trashcan to eavesdrop. "What's he doing?"

As Evergreen spied on him, Laxus picked up a jewelry magazine and quietly whispered to himself. "I doubt Nunnally would be happy about something like this."

The moment he said that, Evergreen accidentally banged into the trashcan. The ruckus caused Laxus and other pedestrians to turn their heads to the source, but by the time they did, Evergreen was nowhere in sight.

"The hell was that?" Laxus said as he put back the magazine.

"That was close..." Evergreen whispered with relief as she hid back in an alley before quickly remembering her mission. "I have to tell Freed and Bickslow."

Not long after, Evergreen barged into the café the Thunder God Tribe decided to meet at and ran straight towards Bickslow and Freed's table. "I found out who he's in love with!"

Upon saying this, Evergreen then gave a detailed explanation of what happened as the two quietly listened.

"So it's Miss Nunnally..." Freed said as he pondered this.

"Well, she isn't lacking anything important! I'll say that!" Bickslow pervertedly added before being scolded by Freed. "Sorry..."

"But since we now know the cause of Laxus' sorrows, we should confront him about this." Freed asserted.

Evergreen immediately disagreed with this. "Are you joking? If Laxus finds out that we've been snooping, I doubt he'll be pleased."

"Then what do you propose we do?" Freed asked.

"We should be supportive." Evergreen proudly asserted, earning questioning looks from both her teammates. "Come on, don't look at me like that! I'll tell you what I have in mind."

Later that evening, Nunnally walked back to her dorm room in Fairy Hills through a deserted street, but something felt off to her. She normally wouldn't think much of it since the streets of Magnolia were usually empty at night, but something was different. Having this feeling, Nunnally stopped dead in her tracks and called out. "Is someone there?"

The moment she asked that, the Thunder God Tribe emerged from the shadows and surrounded her.

"Gotta wonder right?" Bickslow asked Evergreen and Freed.

"To be honest, it surprised me that she's the one, but it makes sense." Evergreen said in her usual condescending manner.

Freed nodded. "Yes, I believe she's the most suitable."

The conversation the three held confused Nunnally, but the way they were talking made her cautious. "It's unusual to run into the Thunder God Tribe this late at night." Nunnally began with her usual smile. "Is there something I may help you with?"

"Yes, something like that." Evergreen said in a threatening way.

Nunnally could feel the dangerous aura the Thunder God Tribe emitted. It was as if they would attack her at any moment. Just as Nunnally was wondering if she should do something to get away, Evergreen walked up to her.

With Evergreen's footsteps getting closer, Nunnally was trying to figure out what to do. She felt threatened, but a 3 on 1 fight wasn't a good idea, especially in the city. Suddenly, Evergreen stopped inches in front of her, bringing them face to face.

The way Evergreen looked at her was as if she was inspecting her appearance. Suddenly, Evergreen put her hands on Nunnally's shoulders. "We just wanted to get to know you better!" She said in an unusually friendly tone.

With Evergreen's sudden change in personality, the rest of the Thunder God Tribe's threatening aura disappeared.

"We mean you no harm, Milady." Freed smiled before making a subtle bow gesture towards Nunnally. "We merely wish to better acquaint ourselves with you."

"I'll even introduce you to my babies, Miss Nunnally!" Bickslow said in his usual tone. The use of honorifics, however, was something very unusual for him.

"It'd be so nice to have another girl around." Evergreen said in relief. "Being around such musty men all the time is just awful!"

Nunnally still couldn't process what was happening. She simply looked at each of the Thunder God Tribe, trying to make sense of it all. "I don't understand..." Nunnally began. "What brought this on all of a sudden?"

"It's not sudden at all." Evergreen interjected with a smile. "We just want to get to know you better. And while you're at it, you should get to know Laxus better too."

Bickslow had a subtle exhausted look on his face. 'There it is...'

'So that was her intention...' Freed thought to himself.

"Laxus?" Nunnally questioned Evergreen.

She nodded. "Now why don't the two of us walk back to the dorms together?" Evergreen said as she dragged Nunnally along.

"But what about them?" Nunnally asked while darting her head back and forth between Evergreen and the others.

"I'm sure the boys will be fine on their own."

After the girls left, Freed and Bickslow we're left alone to talk.

"You know, even though this was Ever's idea, it's pretty good." Bickslow said as he raised his arms behind his head.

"Yes, I agree." Freed began. "I believe Milady Nunnally, is most suitable for Laxus."

Bickslow looked down at Freed as they walked back to their respective homes. "Yeah, but are you really going to keep calling her 'Milady'?"

"As I said before... If she is the one Laxus loves, we should address her with the up most respect."

"Alright, but I think just calling her 'Miss Nunnally' is good enough."

"Which reminds me..." Freed said as he remembered something.

"What is it?" Bickslow asked interested.

"How long do you suppose Laxus has been feeling this way? I am ashamed to have not even noticed."

Bickslow looked up at the night sky. "Don't know... I didn't even think he was into the meek and frail types, but we shouldn't sweat the small stuff."

"Yes, you're right."

Meanwhile, back at Fairy Hills, Nunnally had a hard time processing the newly unfolded events.

"Wow, you're room is so much like myself! So fairy-like..." Evergreen happily spoke as she looked around Nunnally's room. There were many beautiful flowering plants throughout her room. It was almost like an indoor garden.

Nunnally nervously served some tea before sitting down. "T-Thank you, but may I ask why you were so adamant about entering my room?"

"I just thought new friends should know more about each other." Evergreen said as she picked up her teacup.

"Yes I suppose so..." Nunnally trailed off as she quietly sipped her tea.

Noticing Nunnally's reluctance to speak, Evergreen asked her a question. "Nunnally, do you mind if I get your opinion on something?"

"W-What is it?"

Getting straight to the point, Evergreen continued. "I was hoping you could tell me what you think of Laxus."

Nunnally was dazed by her question for a moment, but quickly regained her senses. "L-Laxus?!"

"That's right. So... what do you think of him?"

"W-why do you ask?" Nunnally asked, startled by her audacity.

Evergreen merely smiled. "I'm just curious."

"Um, well..." Nunnally began, unsure what to say. "He... he's very strong."

"Come on, you don't have to hold back. It's just us girls here." Evergreen happily urged her for a better answer.

"Um..." Nunnally avoided eye contact with Evergreen as she began to fidget. "He is also very kind. He has already come to my rescue twice." She added while trying to avoid mentioning his mishaps.

"Twice?" Evergreen knew about him going to Elysium Town with her, but she didn't hear anything about another time. "Oh, you mean in Elysium Town and... where was that other place? I just can't seem to remember." She feigned innocence as she tried to get more information out of her.

"It was in Watercress Valley about five months ago."

'Watercress Valley?' Evergreen thought confused.

"Having Master have him keep an eye on me must have been quite a bother for him, but he didn't complain at all."

"Master didn't ask him to go to Watercress Valley with you." Evergreen interrupted, more confused at her words.

"Huh?" Nunnally seemed confused as well. "W-What do you mean? He told me that Master sent him."

"Laxus just up and disappeared for a few days five months ago. He went to Watercress Valley with you?"

"W-What?" Nunnally blinked confused.

"Huh?" Evergreen blinked as well.

Then suddenly, as if realizing something, both girls' eyes went wide. "HUH?!"

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry Laxus... Looks like you didn't get much screen time this chapter, and it's too bad for him that Nunnally found about his little excursion. Oh well... she was bound to find out eventually.**

 **Thanks for reading guys and look forward to spring in Magnolia!**

 **See you next time!**


	8. Chapter 08: Spring Breeze

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 08: Spring Breeze**

* * *

Although unknown why to Laxus, he had noticed Nunnally spending a lot more time with the Thunder God Tribe. "What the hell is going on?" He would often ask himself as he looked away with a questioning face.

Several weeks had passed since the Thunder God Tribe found out about Laxus' little crush, and, since then, they've asked Nunnally to sit with them in the guild hall on more than one occasion. However, on this particular day, Nunnally sat focused on a book by herself.

"Hey, Nunnally!" Mirajane suddenly called as she slammed her hands on Nunnally's table. "Mind telling me how you've gotten so friendly with the Thunder God Tribe? They're so cold and ridged."

"R-Really?" Nunnally looked up, a bit frightened by Mirajane's forwardness. "I don't think they're all that bad."

"Are you kidding- huh?" Mirajane peered at Nunnally's book. "What so interesting about plants?"

"What? Oh, my book." Nunnally looked confused for a moment by the change of topic. "Well, there are many fascinating things about them. Many of which have amazing medicinal properties." She explained smiling.

"Geez, you're so weird..." Mirajane said without hesitation.

Suddenly, another voice joined in on the conversation. "You're one to talk."

Knowing whose voice it was, Mirajane quickly grew irritated and angry. "Huh? You picking a fight with me, Erza!?" She turned around to look at the 15-year-old girl behind her.

"Of course not." Erza began as she crossed her arms. "But you shouldn't pick on Nunnally. It's distasteful."

Ezra's accusations caused Mirajane to grow angrier. "What the heck?! I wasn't picking on her!"

Erza, Mirajane, and Nunnally were the exact same age, but out of the three of them, Nunnally was the oldest. In fact, she would soon turn 16—just in time for the guild's annual flower viewing party. But although Nunnally was older, Mirajane and Erza were much stronger with Erza having been the one to achieve S-Class just a few months prior.

"Erza, Mirajane wasn't picking on me at all." Nunnally interrupted as she tried to defuse the situation.

"See!" Mirajane angrily pouted.

A look of surprise immediately formed on Erza's face. "Really? I'm sorry, Nunnally."

"You should be apologizing to me!" Mirajane angrily yelled.

Erza, however, ignored Mirajane and continued speaking. "By the way, what were you reading? You seemed pretty focused."

"I was reading about a special herb." Nunnally began as she showed the two girls the page. "It can magnify the Magic Power of a Wizard when eaten or drunk. I was hoping to make some cake and tea from it for the flower viewing party."

"Yeah right!" Mirajane interrupted. "That's so fake! As if something like that exists."

"Hey!" Erza looked at Mirajane upset. "What did I just say about picking on her?!"

In response, Mirajane leaned in toward Erza making an irritated face. "And I said I wasn't!" But suddenly, she smirked. "Oh, I get it. You're picking a fight with me. I guess being S-Class has gotten to your head. As if you can beat me."

"It hasn't gotten to my head!" Erza angrily leaned in as well. "And I can beat you anytime I want!"

"You wanna go, Red?!"

"Bring it!"

Just as the two girls we're about to butt heads, Natsu bumped into them.

"DAMN IT NATSU!" Gray yelled at him. "STOP BEING SUCH AN IDIOT!

"OH YEAH?!" Natsu yelled in return before looking behind him. "Huh?"

Unfortunately for Natsu, Erza and Mirajane were about to go at each other, but him bumping into them caused the girls to take out their anger on him instead.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" The two girls yelled as they struck Natsu with an uppercut, sending him flying.

"Tsk, thanks to stupid Natsu now I'm not in the mood for a fight." Mirajane grumbled, looking back at Nunnally as Erza nodded, a bit embarrassed for getting carried away.

As Erza turned her attention back to Nunnally as well, she noticed that Nunnally had a bit of a worried expression on her face as she looked down at her book.

"Is something wrong?" Erza asked.

Nunnally looked up at her a bit shy before looking back down at the page. "No, nothing is wrong. It's just that..." She trailed off.

Mirajane was confused at the exchange but looked at Nunnally's book before smiling deviously. "Even if it does exist, looks like you aren't going to get your plant anytime soon."

"Huh?" Erza didn't understand what Mirajane was talking about until she looked at the page once again. "It grows at Mt. Hakobe..." She trailed off before looking back up at Nunnally worried. "You're not good in cold places. It'll be pretty hard for you to get on your own."

Nunnally looked down a bit disappointed. "You're right. Perhaps I should just forget about it. But I'm disappointed that I won't be able to try some, though.

Erza smiled at her. "If you want it that badly, why not just post a request on the job board?"

Nunnally suddenly looked back up at her with hope in her eyes. "D-Do you think I can make a selfish request like that?" She said unsure. "I wouldn't want to be a bother."

"I don't see why not. Maybe someone in the guild will do it as a birthday present for you." Erza replied with a smile as she reassured her.

"Oh yeah..." Mirajane began. "I forgot that your birthday was coming up. You're kinda lucky that it's so close to the party."

Nunnally nodded embarrassed. "Yes, actually... this year it lies on the same day as the flower viewing party."

"What the heck?" Mirajane replied a bit irritated and envious.

"Anyways" Erza interrupted. "Just post a request. Someone will definitely take it."

Nunnally nodded once again with hope that her request would be answered. But little did she know, however, that Laxus, who had been leaning on a nearby pillar with his headphones on, had heard the girls' entire conversation.

A couple days later, Nunnally posted her request after having it approved by Master Makarov. And shortly thereafter, Laxus had been quick to grab the paper after nonchalantly going up to the request board.

"Going on a job, Laxus?" Wakaba walked up to him with Macao as he smoked a cigarette.

Laxus simply looked at him blankly before walking away. "Why do you care?"

"Did I say something wrong?" Wakaba scratched his head confused.

"Haha!" Macao laughed as he patted his old friend's back. "You know teenagers. He's at an age where he doesn't want old men like us meddling in his business."

"Now I don't know about you, but I'm still pretty young." Wakaba replied, cracking a smile.

As the two men continued cracking jokes at each other, Laxus walked up to his grandfather who sat on the bar counter drinking. "Hey, old man! I'm taking this job." He quickly showed Makarov before walking away.

"But that's..." Makarov trailed off as he watched his grandson walk away. "Honestly... Kids these days... Just when did he get like this?" He quietly whispered, smiling to himself as he thought of the request Laxus took before chugging down his drink.

Later that evening, Laxus returned to the guild hall with a big basket of herbs and slammed it down before Nunnally. "Here" He merely said with a stern face as he looked away blushing.

Nunnally looked stunned for moment before regaining her senses. "T-Thank-you, Laxus." She smiled before continuing. "I'll be sure to pay you your reward right away."

"No need." Laxus curtly said as he continued to look away blushing. "I-It's your present..." He quietly finished embarrassed as he felt stares from several guild members.

Nunnally stayed silent for a few seconds as a small blush formed on her face. "T-Truly?"

Laxus nodded, keeping his gaze away.

"But..." Nunnally trailed off with a troubled look. "I feel terrible for having you go through all this trouble. If you don't mind, perhaps I could reward you with one of the cakes I make from these herbs, instead?"

Laxus quickly looked at her, unsure what to respond with. "S-sure" He ultimately said. He actually thought of turning her down, but he really wanted to try her sweets. It took a lot of his mental courage just to give her the herbs, Laxus didn't think he would say yes to eating some of her sweets.

Nunnally smiled happily. "Then I'll make a picnic for the flower viewing party." She said, leaving Laxus stunned. "It will be nice to have something sweet while gazing at the cherry blossoms."

"Y-Yeah..."

Nunnally nodded before getting up from her seat. "Then I'll go home and prepare before these herbs wilt."

Laxus processed what happened as he replied to the already gone Nunnally. "Alright..." 'What just happened?' He thought confused.

About a week passed since that day, and since then, Nunnally grew happier and happier as the day of the flower viewing party drew near.

"You seem cheerful this morning." Evergreen teased as she sat in Nunnally's room.

"D-Do I?" Nunnally asked as she stood in her kitchen chopping vegetables.

"I suppose it has something to do with your birthday?" Evergreen asked before drinking some herbal tea.

Nunnally suddenly stopped chopping as she smiled softly to herself with a faint blush. "Perhaps that's it. It's strange... I've never been this happy about my birthday. I wonder why I feel so happy this time. Is it because of the flower viewing party?"

Evergreen looked surprised at Nunnally's sudden openness before she gently smiled at her. "Maybe it's because you're making a big picnic this for all of us to eat together. Honestly..." She laughed. "...Bickslow won't stop talking about it."

"Truly? But I certainly hope Laxus enjoys it as well." Nunnally replied before growing embarrassed by her own words.

Evergreen just smirked happily. 'So it's Laxus that's making her happy...' "You don't have to worry about that. I'm sure he'll be happy to eat anything you make." She said in a slight teasing tone.

"I wonder if that's true..." Nunnally whispered to herself with a slight blush before she resumed chopping vegetables.

The day of her birthday and the highly anticipated flower viewing party, Nunnally woke up extremely early to prepare.

She spent all week planning the perfect lunch for Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe, so it was natural that she wanted everything to go well.

"Whew..." She sighed as got several small cakes out of the oven. "I'm glad they came out well." The special herbs Laxus retrieved were used to make small, green, square cakes that Nunnally worked hard on. She even made a large, 3-tiered boxed lunch to go along with it in order to feed Bickslow's big stomach.

"I'm certain Bickslow will be happy with this." She giggled after finishing the boxed lunch. "Now all that's left is the tea..." Nunnally thought aloud as she prepared a thermos for the herbal tea she made.

A few short hours later, Laxus sat nervous on a blanket as he was surrounded by the Thunder God Tribe. He seemed out of place with his serious face compared to the other wild and relaxed guild members. 'When is she getting here?' He thought anxiously glancing around.

"You shouldn't worry, Laxus. Milady should be here shortly." Freed assured.

Laxus was caught off guard by Freed's words before getting red and avoiding eye contact.

Freed merely smiled and continued speaking. "See?" He said looking behind him.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Nunnally ran up to them. "I hadn't realize it had gotten this late!" Not wanting to be sleepy during the party, Nunnally decided to take a short nap after finishing preparing their lunch. Her short nap, however, turned out to be much longer than she wanted, thus, causing her tardiness.

"Don't worry about it!" Bickslow happily laughed. "You're the one who brought lunch, so we can't complain!"

"He's right, so just relax." Evergreen coolly agreed as she drank alcohol.

Nunnally smiled cheerfully at their words. "In that case..." She said as she sat down and spread out her boxed lunch. "Please, eat!"

Laxus stayed quiet as he watched Nunnally's happy face. Her smiling face was contagious as he calmly smiled to himself.

"Would you like some tea, Laxus?" Nunnally suddenly asked as she held a thermos in her hands.

Laxus simply sat dazed before processing Nunnally's words. "U-uh yeah, thanks."

Nunnally poured some tea into a cup and carefully handed it to him. "I hope you like it" She said as she softly smiled with a slight blush.

Ever since Nunnally learned of Laxus' little 'excursion' thanks to Evergreen, she's been more self-conscious around him. Thinking that Laxus was worried about her during the Watercress Valley mission made Nunnally happy. Her only worry was being a bit too conceited for thinking so.

"By the way, Happy Birthday, Milady." Freed said catching her attention.

Nunnally smiled. "Why thank you, Sir Freed."

"Nunnally, you've outdone yourself with this cake." Evergreen said as she happily enjoyed Nunnally's sweets.

"This boxed lunch is pretty good too!" Bickslow added while hungrily devouring it.

Nunnally simply smiled tiredly as she watched them eat. "I'm just glad to see you enjoy yourselves. But please do make sure to leave some for Laxus and Freed."

Just as she said this, Gildarts and the Master walked up to them. "Happy Birthday Nunnally! So you're finally a year older..." Gildarts said smiling happily. "How old are you now?"

"I am 16." She smiled politely.

"16..." Makarov began. "You're going to have all the guys in town lining up for you now. Isn't that right Laxus?" He teased his grandson, fully aware of his feelings.

Laxus, on the other hand, wasn't very pleased with his teasing. With an obvious frown, he stayed quiet as he blushed furiously.

Nunnally smiled embarrassed. "Nonsense. You flatter me."

"A cute girl like you? I doubt you'll stay single for long." Gildarts joined in on teasing. "Now be honest. Is there anyone that's caught your eye?"

Just like Laxus, Nunnally blushed as well. "T-There's no one like that!" She immediately replied as she momentarily glanced at Laxus before calming down a bit. "But that reminds me, weren't you going on a century quest?" She asked, curious about his appearance at the flower viewing party.

"I'm heading off in a few days. I just wanted to join in on the festivities before I go." Gildarts explained, unaware that Cana looked at him sadly from afar. As her sadness began to consume her, the 14-year-old girl suddenly downed a half barrel of alcohol, surprising the other guild members around her.

As Cana drank her sorrows away, Gildarts and the Master congratulated Nunnally once more before heading off to enjoy the rest of the party.

Just as Nunnally and the others sat enjoying their picnic, Freed noticed Laxus' glum face. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing..." He lied as the conversation still echoed in his head. Gildarts joined in on teasing. _"Now be honest. Is there anyone that's caught your eye?" Just like Laxus, Nunnally blushed as well. "T-There's no one like that!" She immediately replied._ These few words stabbed Laxus straight in the heart. But little did he know that our young heroine began looking at him with the same longing as he did her.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**


	9. Chapter 09: A Strange Night Out (Part 1)

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 09: A Strange Night Out (Part 01)**

* * *

A month had passed since Nunnally's birthday, and since then, she's been going on much more jobs while occasionally tagging along with the Thunder God Tribe.

One day, Nunnally sat talking to Evergreen outside a café as they drank tea.

"Honestly the nerve of him!" Evergreen complained. "After I went out of my way to pick out a good job too!"

Nunnally carefully blew her tea before sipping it. "Bickslow didn't like it?"

"He told me he didn't want an easy job like this one. But he was the one who told me to pick something in the first place!"

"What happened after that? Did you end up picking something else?" Nunnally asked before continuing to drink her tea.

Evergreen sighed. "I had already told master that we would be taking the job; now I have to go back and tell him we won't." She pouted as she looked at the flyer in her hand, but then looked back at Nunnally as if an idea struck her. "Unless..."

Nunnally looked confused by Evergreen's sudden change in tone. "Is something the matter?"

"Unless you would like to take this job off my hands instead?" Evergreen finally said, smiling.

"I wouldn't mind." Nunnally paused to drink her tea. "But what kind of request is it?"

Just as Evergreen was about to tell her, Laxus, who had been passing by the café, noticed them sitting at a table outside and called out. "What are you two doing here?"

Evergreen looked his way surprised before smiling happily. "Laxus! Perfect timing!" She said excited. "How do you feel about going on a job with Nunnally?"

Her question completely took Laxus off guard. Of course he was happy (even if he wouldn't admit it), but because it was Evergreen asking it, he was a bit cautious. "I..." He trailed off glancing at Nunnally before looking back at Evergreen, blushing a bit. "I guess I wouldn't mind it. Why do you ask?"

"Evergreen just told me she wouldn't be able to take on a job she wanted, so she asked me to go in her stead." Nunnally explained.

"Oh yeah?" Laxus said as he sat down at their table, knowing the conversation wasn't going to be short. "What kind of job is it?"

"I was actually about to discuss that right now, so that's why you came at the perfect time." She said smirking a bit at him while making subtle eye movements towards Nunnally.

'Tsk' He looked at her irritated. 'Damn her! She's totally enjoying this!'

As Laxus glared at her, Evergreen got down to business. "It's nothing difficult. You two just have to get rid of some grave robbers."

"How awful..." Nunnally said after Evergreen explained the situation.

"It is sad, but the Thunder God Tribe has another job to take care of, so we can't go." Evergreen agreed as she waved her hand dismissively before smirking. "But since you two seem idle at the moment, HOW ABOUT YOU AND NUNNALLY GO TOGETHER, LAXUS?

Laxus simply glared at her once more before looking away. "Whatever... it's not like I have anything better to do anyways."

Smiling at Laxus' embarrassed face, Evergreen turned to Nunnally. "Well, how about you Nunnally?"

Nunnally glanced at Laxus for a brief moment before she smiled nervously with a slight blush. "I'd be happy to be of help."

Satisfied with the new turn of events, Evergreen looked at both of them. "Perfect. Then I leave it to you two."

Soon after preparing, Laxus and Nunnally departed from Magnolia as the Thunder God Tribe left for their own mission.

"Are you sure you don't want to take a train" Laxus said as he remembered what happened about half a year ago. _Suddenly as if in a desperate attempt, Nunnally clasped her hands together and began to yell to the heavens. "...I'LL TAKE ANYTHING! ANYTHING! ANNNYYYTHIIING!"_

"It's fine." She began as she looked at him. "I don't really mind walking; it's refreshing. Besides, I know that you don't like trains." She smiled gently, trying to be mindful of Laxus.

Laxus seemed surprised at her words before he looked away blushing. "Whatever... Just don't come complaining if your feet start hurting in those boots."

Both Laxus and Nunnally eventually reached their destination as a thick mist enveloped them, adding on to the eeriness of their location—a graveyard.

"This mist will make it more difficult to spot them." Nunnally said as she referred to the grave robbers.

"You're right..." Laxus replied before spotting a shadow from the corner of his eye. 'Looks like they're here.' He thought.

The moment he spotted the robbers, Laxus grabbed Nunnally by the shoulder and gestured to her to stay quiet.

Understanding, Nunnally nodded as she remembered the plan.

 _"Let's stop here for now." Laxus said before sitting down on a nearby rock._

 _"Laxus, perhaps we should use this time to think of a strategy." Nunnally suggested as she sat down near Laxus._

 _After she said that, Laxus looked at her. "Do we really need something like that? We just have to beat the crap out of them. Not like there's a strategy for that."_

 _"I understand that you want to do this as quickly as possible, but senseless violence would only keep the robbers at bay for a short time." Nunnally said with a serious face. "They will surely return if we don't plan this out accordingly."_

 _Laxus wasn't annoyed but his face showed uncertainty to Nunnally's words. "Alright, what did you have in mind?"_

After their silent conversation, Nunnally scattered before she made her way towards the grave robbers.

 _"I propose we use a scare tactic to deal with them." Nunnally began as she grabbed a nearby stick and drew out a simulation on the ground._

 _"Scare tactic?" Laxus questioned as he look down at Nunnally's drawing._

 _She nodded. "The problem with going straight into battle, is that we don't know the exact numbers of our opponent." She continued as she drew a large circle to represent the grave robbers. "That's why I think we should sneak up on them and lower their defenses by using this." What Nunnally held up in her other hand was a small, green glass vial._

 _"And just what's that?" Laxus asked._

 _"A hallucinogenic fragrance I developed." She answered with a serious face. "Although it has no ill health effects, it is supposed to decrease the intended target's sense of awareness and increase their anxiety. This will allow us to easily fool and scare the robbers from ever desecrating someone's grave again. If they are frightened enough, they will surely leave."_

 _Laxus looked at Nunnally surprised. "You thought all this up on the way here?" He was impressed by how much effort Nunnally put into stopping the grave robbers. He'd normally would never bother with something like this himself, but seeing that Nunnally worked hard, made him want try too (even if it was just a little bit)._

 _Nunnally nodded shyly as she avoided eye contact with Laxus. "I find it terrible that anyone would violate someone's resting place." She said before a sad look formed on her face. "It's sad to think that not even the dead are able to obtain peace."_

 _As Laxus looked at Nunnally, he smiled for a brief moment before standing up and placing a hand on top of her head. He didn't look at her, but instead kept his eyes closed as he smiled. "If you're that worried about it then I guess I'll just have to do what you say, don't I?"_

 _Nunnally suddenly lifted her head towards him with a longing look. "Truly?"_

 _Laxus looked down at her and smiled. "Just tell me what you want me to do."_

 _Nunnally's face then lit up as she nodded before explaining her plan further._

 _"Do you think you can be artistic with your lightning, Laxus?" Nunnally asked a bit mischievously._

 _Laxus seemed surprised for a second before regaining his cool composure and smiling with a small chuckle. "I guess I can do that."_

"Man we're gonna strike big tonight!" One of the grave robbers dug excitedly as the other stopped digging, looking around. "Hey, what are you doing?!" He roughly whispered trying to get his partner to get back to work.

"Michal (Mee-kahl), do you smell something weird?" His partner, Josef, asked a bit on edge.

"You're crazy. I don't smell any...thing." Michal trailed off for a moment before regaining his senses. "Just get back to work!"

As the two men continued digging on the ground a bolt of lightning suddenly cracked down scaring them both.

"Let's hurry this up, Josef. Looks like there will be a storm coming in soon." Michal anxiously said as his partner nodded nervously.

Just as he said that another crack of lightning cracked down on the ground near the two men.

"Michal, maybe we should go back. I've never felt good about what we've been doing anyways." Josef heaved nervously. His pale face was drenched in sweat, and he looked like would pass out at any moment.

As soon as Josef said that, Michal lashed out at him with the same nervousness. "Do not lose heart on me! We've come too far to turn back out now!"

To add on to the two grave robbers' anxious state, something suddenly grabbed at the two men's feet.

"What was that!?" Michal yelled frightened, unaware that it was a plant root.

"I knew it!" Josef yelled as he held his head delirious. "We've upset the spirit world! The dead are going to punish us!"

Trying to keep his sanity, Michal grabbed his friend by the shoulders. "Calm yourself, Josef! There are no spirits here! There is no such thing!"

The moment he said that, a lightning bolt struck down several yards behind Josef with a woman's figure seemingly appearing within it atop a gravestone.

As Josef saw the fear in his friend's face, he slowly turned his head behind him to see what Michal was so frightened of.

Lightning struck down again and again with the same figure appearing and disappearing with it. And as the two men saw the lightning and figure drawing nearer, they both immediately dropped everything and ran away in terror.

Just as they left, Nunnally materialized where Michal and Josef dug. "Mission accomplished." She said smiling.

"Looks like your plan worked. Good job." Laxus praised as he came out of the shadows.

Nunnally nodded. "You were a great help as well." Her plan was to use her fragrance and their abilities to their advantage. Nunnally would use her plant magic to trip the grave robbers up while Laxus used his lightning to provide her cover. The plan was simple, but it was executed perfectly.

"But now that that's out of the way, let's go home." Laxus said as he rolled his head a bit to relieve some stress.

"Are you alright?" Nunnally asked concerned.

"Don't worry about it. Let's just go home." Laxus replied sounding a bit too pushy than he wanted.

Doing as she was told, Nunnally nodded once more, and the two headed home.

 ** _To Be Continued…_**


	10. Chapter 10: A Strange Night Out (Part 2)

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 10: A Strange Night Out (Part 02)**

* * *

After Nunnally and Laxus scared off the two grave robbers, they headed back to the guild. On the way back, however, Nunnally couldn't help but stare at him.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Nunnally said out of concern. Laxus had been trying to get a kink out of his neck for what seemed like hours. She couldn't help but wonder if he had been like that since the start of their mission but hadn't said anything to not worry her.

Still trying to get rid of the kink, Laxus spoke. "It's just a bit of stress. But do you mind if we stop by a pub? I need a drink." He looked at her a bit embarrassed, but he really felt like he needed something to drink.

The sun was about to set, and it would still be a while until they reached Magnolia. Nunnally looked unsure about going to a bar since they were so far from Magnolia, but she ultimately complied.

"S-Sure..."

When the two arrived in a small town, they headed towards the nearest tavern. Upon entering, Laxus made his way towards the bar counter and ordered for himself. Nunnally lagged a bit behind him but slowly sat down next to him as she shyly looked down at her hands, unsure of what to do.

As soon the bartender served Laxus, he immediately began drinking. The alcohol did help to get rid of some of his stress, but that didn't last for long when he noticed how quiet Nunnally was.

"What's wrong?" He asked, oblivious to what was bothering her. "Do you want to order something?"

Nunnally fidgeted in her seat a bit as she answered nervously. "Um... it's just that I'm not sure of what to do." She shyly glanced at Laxus. "I-I've never had alcohol before."

This caught Laxus completely off guard. So much so, that his face didn't hide his shock at all. He figured that since the legal drinking age was 15, Nunnally would have at least tried some by now. He then remembered all the times she drank tea. 'Damn, this suddenly got uncomfortable. I better say something.' Laxus suddenly cleared his throat as he tried to act cool. "Really? Well you don't have to force yourself. I'm fine drinking alone." He finished as he got back to drinking.

Nunnally was taken aback by this and tried to say something. "U-Um, Laxus?"

"Yeah?" Laxus said confused.

"I..." She trailed off embarrassed before saying what was on her mind. "Since I'm here, do you think I could have something to drink? I want to try some." Nunnally actually had no interest in alcohol, but seeing as how Laxus liked it, she wanted to try it as well. What she wanted was to feel closer to him, and sharing a drink together made it seem like that could happen.

Laxus looked unsure about it since he didn't want to force her, but Nunnally insisted.

"Alright..." Laxus sighed. "Hey!" He called to the bartender. "Give her the weakest thing you have." Laxus didn't want to feel like he pushed her into drinking, so he made sure to order something anyone could handle.

The bartender stayed silent as he polished a glass, but immediately began preparing a drink for Nunnally.

Not a moment later, Nunnally had a small glass of pale, red liquid right in front of her. She seemed a bit hesitant as she reached for it, but grabbed the drink with both hands.

With the glass in her hands, Nunnally stared at it nervously as Laxus chugged his own drink. She then preceded to take a small, hesitant sip.

Just a few minutes later, Laxus, who quietly drank, noticed Nunnally staring off into space. "Hey, you alright?" He asked worried.

Nunnally, however, didn't say a word. She simply sat dazed.

This threw Laxus off guard. He didn't know why she was so quiet, and right when he was about to grab her shoulder to get her attention, Nunnally looked at him and smiled happily.

"Alcohol is pretty good, Laxus!" Nunnally drunkenly exclaimed.

"Huh!?" Laxus exclaimed in surprise. Just as he was about to again ask is she was okay, Nunnally clung to him affectionately to even more of his surprise.

"Hey!" He yelled at the bartender angrily while trying to fend off Nunnally's hug. "I thought you gave her the weakest drink you had!"

The bartender then coolly chuckled. "Kid, what I gave her was mostly juice—hardly any alcohol.

"Then why the hell is she acting like this!?" He continued to yell as he tried to keep Nunnally under control.

Amused by Laxus' panicked face the bartender explained. "It's pretty obvious that your girlfriend's a lightweight, kid. I think you two better stay at an inn for the night. You aren't going be able to go anywhere with her like that."

Laxus grew flustered at the word 'girlfriend'. "Wait a minute! She's not my... I mean we're not..." For some reason, Laxus just couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence. Instead, he hung his head, somehow feeling defeated.

"Save it, kid." The bartender smiled coolly. "Just make sure your girl sobers up."

Still hugging Laxus, Nunnally affectionately spoke. "Laxus, I want a piggy back ride!"

"What?!" Laxus said with even more panic. "NO! No, I will not-"

In the end, Laxus ended up carrying Nunnally to the inn on his back. "Geez... why the hell do I have to do this?" Laxus whispered to himself with both embarrassment and irritation as he felt nearby pedestrians talk about them. 'I like it better when she's sober. At least then she doesn't make me do weird stuff like this.'

"Laxus, you're so tall! I can see everything!" Nunnally practically shouted as she poked his cheek.

"Yeah, yeah..." He sighed as his tired face grew a bit red. 'Dammit! Sober or not, she's still cute!' Laxus thought as he tried to keep his own emotions under control.

"Hehe, let's sing, Laxus!" Nunnally happily cheered.

"Yeah..." He said in monotonous manner. 'Crap, now she's going to sing...'

In Nunnally's elated state, she began singing in a sweet gentle voice. " Am I a flower? "

'A kid's song?' He thought before speaking. "Yeah, you're as pretty as a flower." Laxus quietly said uncomfortable despite him actually thinking it.

" A butterfly or demon? "

"Yeah, you're like a butterfly to-" Laxus stopped himself before realizing what the second thing Nunnally said was as she continued.

" How could I stay calm with the world in disarray? "

Laxus didn't say anything more in order to listen to the surprisingly dark lyrics. He had never heard the song and originally thought that she was singing a children's song, but that didn't seem to be the case.

" What I wield is not rouge, but, instead, a sharp blade.

Would you be so kind as to give me praise? "

Instead of continuing, Nunnally began humming before she got distracted by the flowers of a passing flower shop. "Those flowers are so pretty!"

While Nunnally was still going on about the flowers, Laxus couldn't help but wonder about those lyrics. 'Not a song I've heard. What the heck was that?' Laxus solemnly thought as he glanced back at Nunnally who was smiling cheerfully.

It wasn't much longer until they reached the inn. Laxus made sure that the two of them had separate rooms so that Nunnally wouldn't feel uncomfortable when she sobered up.

After Laxus finished showering and got dressed, he sat relaxed as he sat on the edge of his room's bed. "That really freaked me out. It was just one little sip..." He sighed thinking of how easily Nunnally got drunk. Just as he said that, there was a knock at the door. "Huh?" He said getting up. "Who the hell would be knocking at this hour?"

"Yeah?" Laxus answered only to be surprised by Nunnally.

"Laxus!" Nunnally cheered as she tackled him into a hug.

"The hell?!" Laxus couldn't hide the surprise on his face. "You're still drunk?!"

"So this is where you were hiding!" Nunnally pouted at bit. "You're so mean, Laxus! I couldn't find you anywhere!"

Laxus sighed. "I wasn't hiding. Now you know I'm right next door, so go back to your own room." He said as he turned Nunnally around and tried to gently push her out of the room by the shoulders.

As he did that, Nunnally looked back at him with tears in her eyes. "You're kicking me out? But I want to stay here..."

Laxus froze up as he blushed. He didn't think it was possible, but Nunnally's cuteness factor rose exponentially. "You can stay..." He trailed off defeated.

Upon hearing that, Nunnally immediately returned to embracing him before backing away with a blank face.

Laxus was a bit relieved that Nunnally let go of him since it was more than he could handle for one day but wondered why she did so suddenly. "What's wrong?"

Nunnally then began fanning herself with her hand. "It's hot in here..."

Just as Laxus was about to ask her if that was all, Nunnally began unknotting the ribbon around the collar of her dress and slipping off her skirt's suspenders, much to Laxus' surprise.

"Hey! Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" Laxus subconsciously yelled as he tried to keep her from stripping any further.

"Huh?" Nunnally exclaimed confused. "But I'm hot..."

This caused Laxus to yell even louder. "That doesn't mean you should take off your clothes here! Go back to your own room if you want to do that!"

"But I want to be here with you..." Nunnally said with a sad look on her face. The alcohol allowed her true feelings to seep through. Lately, she had unknowingly been sharing Laxus' feelings. All Nunnally had been wanting is to be by Laxus' side. Although it was obvious to the older guild members of their feelings for each other, if it was not said in words, neither Nunnally nor Laxus would be able to get their message across.

Nunnally's words made Laxus' heart race. He wanted to ask her what she meant by that, but just as he opened his mouth, Nunnally drunkenly smiled once more before closing in on him. "Since it's hot in here, I'll take off your clothes instead!" Nunnally happily said as she began unbuttoning Laxus' dress shirt.

"What the hell kind of logic is that?!" Laxus yelled frustrated.

Nunnally continued smiling as she explained. "I figured since I'm hot, you must be too."

As Nunnally stripped him, Laxus immediately tried to stop her without hurting her. "That doesn't…. really…. explain…. why you're taking off… my clothes." He struggled to say as he tried to smile.

Laxus' efforts to get Nunnally to stop stripping him seemed to have worked as she backed away a bit sad, although leaving part of his chest exposed. But just when Laxus sighed in relief, he noticed Nunnally close in on him once more. "H-Hey, what are doing?" Laxus nervously said as he backed away.

Laxus backed up to the bed, but still continued until he reached the headboard. "I just want a hug! ~ " Nunnally affectionately said as she crawled her way to him.

The moment Nunnally reached him, she tackled him into a hug as Laxus tried to gently fend her off. "Get a hold of yourself Nunnally! You're drunk!" Laxus growled in between his efforts to get her off. Every attempt however was futile as she clung to Laxus every chance she got.

The battle soon came to an end when Laxus gave in, and Nunnally happily laid asleep atop a weary and frustrated Laxus. "DAMN YOU ALCOHOL! I'M NEVER LETTING HER DRINK EVER AGAIN!" He quietly yelled with bloodshot eyes as he tried not to wake Nunnally up.

"Laxus…" Nunnally purred in her sleep.

The next morning, Nunnally awoke ashamed and embarrassed for last night's events. "I am so sorry!" Nunnally bowed as she begged for forgiveness. She couldn't quite remember the things she said, but some very vivid images played in her head.

Laxus tried to tell her she didn't need to do that, but Nunnally still kept apologizing even on the way back to Magnolia.

"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault." Laxus dully said with a tired expression. What Laxus wanted was to relieve some stress with a drink. He didn't think that would backfire on him by making him more stressed out than before. 'I'm definitely not going to be drinking for a while.' He quietly thought to himself, feeling defeated. "Just keep in mind that I'm not letting you drink ever again."

"Yes… I am very sorry, Laxus." Nunnally kept repeating, and kept doing so until...

"Nunnally! Good timing!" Master Makarov called out to her as they walked into the guild hall. "You've been requested for a job."

Master Makarov's words surprised both Nunnally and Laxus as they wondered who would request her, unaware of the events that would soon unfold.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 ** _In the Next Arc..._**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys, I just wanted to thank you all for reading this long. You guys have been great, and I promise that the next chapter leads to major story development. We're finally going to be delving in deeper into Nunnally's past. I will be writing about it in small portions (about a chapter length) that I introduce every once in a while as relevant information to the current situation, but they will be solely focused on her.**

 **Now to talk about the lyrics I referenced.**

Am I a flower? A butterfly or demon?

How could I stay calm with the world in disarray?

What I wield is not rouge, but, instead, a sharp blade.

Would you be so kind as to give me praise?

 **Those words were taken from the English translation of the song, "Benibana no Otome Uta" from the anime "Otome Yōkai Zakuro" (It's a great anime, I recommend you guys watch it for those who like romance genres). I tried to revise parts of the lyrics to fit the melody while keeping the original meaning. Which brings up how surprised I was when I found how eerily relevant this song was to Nunnally. For a long time (over a year) I have had several things in mind when it came to Nunnally's past (which I cannot reveal in order to keep the surprise), but it was so similar, it frightened even me because I had never heard this song until about a month ago.**

 **The song itself may not be everyone's favorite, but it is good, so I recommend you listen to it. I will leave a link to the song, original translated lyrics and my revised lyrics. If you guys think I can improve on it, please feel free to message me.**

 **Song:** **watch?v=dxDwo1LkDYM**

 **Original Lyrics:** **2013/11...**

 **Revised Lyrics:** **28636267/journal**

 **See you next time!**


	11. Chapter 11: Time: Reflection of Memories

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 11: Time: A Reflection of Memories (1)**

* * *

"A job?" Nunnally asked confused. She couldn't imagine who on earth would request her because she wasn't exactly well known to the public and there were definitely more competent and skillful members than her, so it was strange for Nunnally to be requested out of the blue.

Master Makarov then continued to explain. "It seems that one of your previous clients is having a bit of trouble and wants you to go down there as soon as possible. I believe he said that it had to do with something called Namu." Makarov mulled over as he tried to remember the exact details.

Nunnally stood frozen in shock. 'Namu?' She thought worried. Namu was the guardian of Elysium Forest. A deity that unintentionally caused trouble for the people of Elysium Town until Nunnally and Laxus stepped in. Now something going on with that same deity, and Nunnally couldn't help but have a feeling of dread as she worried about Namu.

As Nunnally worried, Laxus glanced at her with a slightly sympathetic look. It had been almost a year since that day. Even though that deer ticked Laxus off, he couldn't help but feel a bit grateful to him. Because if it weren't for Namu, he probably wouldn't have fallen for Nunnally like he did. Namu was the reason why they went to Elysium in the first place after all.

"Well you'll be able to get the details when you head over there tomorrow. You should just rest for today; you've only just got back." Makarov said without too much worry, for he didn't know the true nature of the job.

Upon hearing this, Nunnally tried her hardest to get out a response without raising too much suspicion of her worries. "Yes, Master..." She said putting on her usual, shy smile.

The next morning, Nunnally was aboard a train with Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe. She asked Laxus if he could go with her since they had been there together before. The real reason was that she didn't know what to expect. Things could end up being more than Nunnally could handle by herself, and she wouldn't know what to do if something terrible happened to Namu. The reason for the Thunder God Tribe's being there was because of something else entirely. They have never taken on a job with Nunnally and Laxus at the same time before and wanted to use this opportunity.

All five of them sat together in one compartment with Bickslow and Laxus on one side and Nunnally, Evergreen, and Freed on the other. Evergreen and Bickslow had their usual arguments with Freed intervening once in a while, but the despite all this noise, Nunnally stayed silent while she looked out the train window. Across from her, Laxus had been quietly seated for a while as well as he stared at her, worried about Nunnally's unusual behavior.

As she quietly sat by the window, Nunnally began to remember things that she had long forgotten. Memories that she wished she had forgotten...

 _Nine years prior to our current story, lived a very different girl from the Nunnally we know now. Nine years ago, the Wallace Mansion stood tall and proud, and in it, a noble and prestige family that was one of the leading authorities in the Pergrande Kingdom—a large country far east of Fiore. And it was here, that Nunnally, 2nd daughter and 4th child of Grand Duke, Dimitri Wallace, lived._

 _Nunnally actually lived a very happy life back then, so it was hard to imagine why she would want to forget it. But certain events, however, can cause certain feelings to arise._

 _"Father! Father!" A young Nunnally ran across the manor's courtyard with a smile to her father and two older brothers who had just returned from inspecting the border lines on horseback._

 _"Nunnally!" Cyrus, the younger of the two brothers, exclaimed, stretching out his arms to her. "How is my favorite sister?" He asked as he lifted her up in his arms._

 _Nunnally continued smiling. "I am well, but enough about that. Did you bring me back a present?" She cutely asked him._

 _Her other brother, Arthur simply laughed at this. "Haha... my, my, it seems our little Nunnally looks forward to gifts more than your return Cyrus."_

 _Arthur was the eldest son and child of the Wallace family, having been 20 years old. He was a handsome young man, and his serious nature led him to become one of his father's most trusted confidants when it came to military affairs. Cyrus, on the other hand, was still too young and inexperienced, being only 16 years old. To join the military in the Pergrande Kingdom, one must be of at least 15 years of age, but ever since Cyrus joined the ranks, he tirelessly worked to gain his father's approval but to no avail._

 _Cyrus looked at Arthur shocked for moment before looking back at Nunnally whom he still carried in his arms. "That's not true is it, Nunnally?" He dramatically said for laughs._

 _Nunnally simply looked away innocently as she answered. "Father says I do not have to answer insignating questions."_

 _Her father joined in on the laughs as he finished dismounting his horse. "You fumbled there a bit Nunnally!" He heartily laughed. "The word you were looking for was 'instigating', but I'm impressed that you tried using it at your age! How old are you now? Five? Six?" He teased._

 _"Father, I am 7 years old and you know it!" Nunnally pouted upset._

 _"Sorry, sorry, my dear. Just having a bit of fun." Dimitri apologized to his daughter before scanning the courtyard. "Now, where is your sister, Abelia? I thought she would surely be here by now."_

 _"Father" Arthur called out in a serious manner, trying to remind him what they needed to do._

 _"Right..." Dimitri replied a bit aggravated. "Cyrus! Come help us with our things!"_

 _Cyrus then put Nunnally down as he replied. "Yes Father."_

 _Before moving to get their equipment, Dimitri bent down to his daughter's level and presented a small bag to her. "I made sure to get you the finest sweets I could find." He said as Nunnally smiled excited. "Now be sure to share with your brothers and sisters. We'll be right in; we just need to fetch our things."_

 _Just as Nunnally was about to nod, she stopped herself as she remembered something. "But what about Mother's gift?" Nunnally loved her mother more than anyone else in the world, and she always wanted her mother to be happy, but sadly for her, there were times she found her mother crying alone. Thinking that she was lonely without her husband, Nunnally always made sure to share all the presents from her father's travels with her so that she could always have him with her._

 _"Don't you worry about that. I'll be sure to hand her gift to her personally." He said smiling gently at his daughter._

 _Nunnally's smile grew wider as she nodded before running back into the manor to look for Abelia—her 13-year-old, elder sister._

 _"Abelia?" Nunnally called out as she opened the door to the study._

 _"Nunnally, how many times do I have to tell you not to bother me while I'm reading?" Abelia scolded her as she closed her book. Abelia was the eldest daughter of the Wallace Family, and if it weren't for Abelia's black hair and bold personality, Nunnally would be the spitting image of her sister._

 _"But Father has returned..." Nunnally shyly said._

 _Abelia looked stunned for a moment before regaining her senses. "If Father is back, then that means..." She said, mostly to herself. Nunnally stared at her confused before Abeila turned to her. "Nunnally!"_

 _"Y-Yes!" Nunnally nervously answered._

 _"Let's hurry up to Grandfather's room. I want to hear the news Father brought back." Abelia declared with no restraint._

 _Nunnally looked at her unsure. "But Mother says it's not good to eavesdrop on people."_

 _Upon hearing this, Abelia harshly flicked Nunnally's forehead causing her to flinch. "Foolish little sister." Abelia scolded as Nunnally rubbed her forehead with both hands in pain. "Do you not understand? Father will surely be talking about the war. Why else would he go to the border? I want to know what he has found."_

 _Nunnally tilted her head confused. "But Father told us we needn't worry about things like that."_

 _This caused Abelia to flick Nunnally's forehead harder. "He only says that because we are women!" Abelia fumed. "In two years I will be old enough join the military, and it is then that I will show Father what I can do."_

 _As Nunnally still held her forehead in pain, she looked up at Abelia, tearing up a bit. "I thought women were forbidden from joining the military?"_

 _"And why do you think that is?" Abelia looked at her sister upset. "It is because of pig-headed men and their old fashioned views on women! Honestly…" She sighed. "I've read that even smaller countries like Fiore allow their women more freedom! That is why I want to show Father that we women are just as capable as men! He has power to change this unfair gender gap, and I'll be the one to make sure he does!" Abelia passionately said. The Pergrande Kingdom had always been a male dominant country, but Abelia couldn't accept that. She wanted to start a radical movement where women would be able to have say in both military and political affairs._

 _Nunnally, however, couldn't understand why her sister was so passionate about it. But she was still too young to understand anything in this world—especially the true horrors of war. Abelia experienced this with the loss of her mother seven years ago. Unknown to Nunnally, she and Abelia were only half-sisters—sharing different mothers. When her father married Nunnally's mother, it felt like a betrayal. Abelia knew that his marriage to her own mother was only a political one with no say on her part. There was no real love between them, but because she was the wife of the Grand Duke, it made her a prime target to the enemy. Now it was the same with Nunnally's mother. This caused Abelia to think that women were only pawns in the game of war, and she wanted to change that._

 _"Abelia?" Nunnally worriedly looked at her sister, for she looked as if she would cry at any moment._

 _Abelia then put on her usual upset face as she spoke Nunnally. "Come on now! Let us see what Father has to say to Grandfather!" Even though having Nunnally with her would only heighten the chances of them getting caught, Abelia wanted her there since, if by the off chance they did get caught for eavesdropping, the punishment would be less severe._

 _The two girls then slowly crept up to their grandfather's room and peeked in through a small crack in the door._

 _"And what of the west?" They heard a stern voice speak. It was their grandfather Ivann (ee-vAAn), the previous Grand Duke and most respected man in all of the kingdom. He had always seemed to have an angry look on his face when it came to military affairs, but when it came to his grandchildren he always lightened up. Ivann had always been a powerful man who looked like he could defeat any enemy, but for the past few years, however, his health had been deteriorating leaving him bedridden._

 _Dimitri cleared his throat. "It seems that there is no movement. I believe that they are waiting to make their move once we call back our troops."_

 _Ivann looked irritated. "Tsk, what cowards... If they wish to attack us, they should do so now instead of cowering in fear!"_

 _"Grandfather, if I may be so bold-" Cyrus spoke out of turn before being silenced by his brother._

 _Cyrus looked down upset before his father spoke. "No boy. Speak your mind. We are all men here. What is it that you have to say?"_

 _His father's words caused Cyrus' face to light up as he spoke. "I-It's just that I don't believe that it's cowardice at all. They are cunningly waiting until we let our guard down in order to make their move. Not all battles can be won with brute strength alone. I believe we should pull back our troops long enough for the enemy to make their appearance. Then make a decisive blow and eliminate them all together."_

 _His grandfather didn't say anything, but Cyrus' audacity surprised Arthur as their father spoke. "I see..." Dimitri mulled Cyrus' words over. "Arthur! Cyrus! I will send you two to the front lines!" He said before being interrupted by Ivann._

 _"DIMITRI!" Ivann looked at his son coldly. "I need to speak with you... ALONE..." He calmly said with the same coldness before getting up from bed and walking towards his window._

 _"Grandfather, your health!" Arthur exclaimed worriedly._

 _"Arthur. Cyrus." Ivann ignored him as he stared out the window. "Please leave. Your father and I will be discussing the rest of this matter by ourselves."_

 _"But Grandfather!" Cyrus yelled trying to get him to change his mind before Arthur grabbed him by the shoulder. The look his brother gave him indicated to him that they should just obey and thus reluctantly walked out of the room._

 _Noticing that they were about to be caught, Nunnally and Abelia quickly hid behind a nearby pillar. Nunnally saw the upset look on Cyrus' face and wanted to cheer him up, but stayed put in fear of her sister's wrath. As soon as Arthur and Cyrus were out of sight, Abelia returned to eavesdropping on her father and grandfather._

 _"You plan to send two children to the front lines?" Ivann asked his son._

 _Dimitri simply looked at his father upset by his obvious disapproval. "Cyrus and Arthur are more than capabl-"_

 _"THEY ARE CHILDREN!" Ivann interrupted. "Arthur is only 20 years old! Cyrus is not much younger either. Those two still have their entire lives ahead of them, AND YOU PLAN TO SEND THEM TO WASTE?!"_

 _"FATHER!" Dimitri yelled in return before his father interrupted once more._

 _"WE WILL NOT BE DISCUSSING THIS ANY FURTHER! I FORBID YOU FROM SENDING THEM!"_

 _The friction between the two was more than Abelia could bear, so she led Nunnally away from their arguing. Once they were far enough, Nunnally spoke. "Abelia? Why did Grandfather not want Arthur and Cyrus to go?" Nunnally innocently asked her sister._

 _Abelia appeared agitated for a before moment before answering. "Never mind that! You'll understand when you're older!"_

 _Later that day, Nunnally played outside with her three younger siblings as their mother, Isabella, watched. She was a beautiful woman who adored both her own children and her step-children, and she lived a peaceful life in the Wallace Mansion for the seven years she resided there, but things, however, weren't always well for Isabella. There were many times when sadness and depression would consume her and not even her own children could be of comfort to her._

 _"IT'S MINE!" Isabella suddenly heard one of her sons' yell._

 _"NO FAIR! IT'S MY TURN!"_

 _Seeing her boys argue with each other, Isabella, intervened. "Viktor! Lucas! Stop arguing this instant!"_

 _"HE STARTED IT!" They yelled simultaneously as they pointed at each other. Viktor and Lucas were two healthy, 5-year-old, twin boys. They always seemed to get into some sort of trouble, much to their mother's dismay, but despite their unruly behavior, Isabella loved them unconditionally._

 _"Honestly..." She sighed. "Why can't you two boys play nicely like your sisters?" She said as she glanced at Nunnally and her 4-year-old sister, Sofia, with a smile. The two girls were happily playing house, with Nunnally acting as the mother and Sofia as the child._

 _This was how Nunnally's life had always been- with days filled with fun and happiness while unaware of the turmoil within her own family, and things stayed like this until one fateful day..._

 _It was near evening that day with a peaceful, red sun setting on the horizon. It was on an evening like this that Nunnally played with a toy ball by herself in the courtyard when her toy suddenly bounced away into the dark and secluded bushes, and that is where young Nunnally met **HER**._

 _A strange woman, who wore a long black cloak that hid her eyes and only revealed her mouth, stood lurking in the shadows. "My, my... what do we have here?" She said in a sweet voice._

 _Nunnally stood frozen with frightened eyes as she looked this cloaked woman. Nunnally could tell that she was a beautiful woman, so what reason did she need to hide her appearance? Not to mention that the strange mirror she held made Nunnally even more curious. "W-Who are you?" Nunnally asked, afraid of the stranger that entered her family's property without permission._

 _The woman simply chuckled softly as she answered. "Please do not worry, my child. Simply gaze deeply into my mirror." She ominously said as Nunnally stared at her reflection._

 _At that moment, everything went black for Nunnally. The next thing she remembered was standing inside the mansion with a metallic scent in the air. Nunnally felt something sticky on her face and when she reached to wipe it off, the moonlight streaming from the large window illuminated her hand to reveal a dark, red color. Seeing this, she then looked down to floor where she saw her mother lay mutilated._

 _Nunnally immediately screamed and grabbed her head frightened. She didn't know what happened, but the sight was too much to bear. Everything was covered in blood, and the stench was so strong, she wanted it all just to be a bad dream, but it wasn't. Everyone... Everyone was gone in just a few short hours and Nunnally couldn't remember what happened in that short amount of time. As she tried to process this, Nunnally continued to scream, and her wails filled the room with a mixture of both fear and anguish._

 _"Mother! MOTHER!" Nunnally screamed with tears streaming down her face as she nudged her mother as if she were merely asleep. "MAAAAMAAAA!"_

 _As this happened, an evil chuckle echoed in the distance. "My, my... such a good girl..."_

Now we return to the current story with Nunnally awakening from her sleep. It seemed that she fell asleep on the train and gasped awake, startling Laxus.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked Nunnally as she looked around at him and the others.

The moment he asked that, Nunnally began to cry silently as she shook.

"Milady!" Freed called worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing... It was all just a dream..." She said mostly to comfort herself. "All just a bad dream..."

They all tried to stop Nunnally's tears as that same evil chuckle rung inside her head.

 _"My, my... such a good girl..."_

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well that was quite the surprise at the end wasn't it? That was actually pretty hard to write, not because I had writer's block, but because I can get pretty into my writing. It is a thing I do where I feel my character's emotions to write better, and I can tell you that I'm feeling pretty ill and anxious right now.**

 **But I am so glad that you all stuck around to read this. I have been writing several (what some people would consider) side chapters lately, but now I have finally gotten back into the main story line. I really appreciate the support and hope to see you all around next chapter.**

 **See you next time!**


	12. Chapter 12: Survival Battle

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 12: Survival Battle: Everyone's Struggle to the Death!**

* * *

"Milady!" Freed called worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing... It was all just a dream..." She said mostly to comfort herself. "All just a bad dream..."

They all tried to stop Nunnally's tears, but to no avail. The images that flashed in her head wouldn't stop, and all the memories that she tried to block out, came flooding in. Nunnally's past was something that no one in the guild, not even Master Makarov, knew about. It was just too painful to talk about to anyone.

It wasn't until they arrived in Elysium that Nunnally completely calmed down.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Evergreen looked at her worried as they walked to Mayor Eugene's Manor before glancing at Laxus who walked ahead of them. She was hoping Laxus would comfort Nunnally, but he just continued walking without looking back at them.

It wasn't that Laxus didn't care; it wasn't that at all. He simply didn't know how to comfort her, and this frustrated him beyond belief. He wished he could make her feel better, but he wasn't sure how to. So, instead, he walked ahead of them to avoid the pained look on Nunnally's face.

Not much later, they all reached Eugene's Manor where Eugene greeted them with a serious face.

"It is good to see you two again." Eugene solemnly said as he looked at Laxus and Nunnally before looking over to the Thunder God Tribe. "I'm also glad to see that you two have brought help." He continued as he looked a bit relieved.

"Sir Eugene" Nunnally began with a serious look. "Has something happened to Namu?"

"I do not know..." His expression suddenly turned grave. "…but something has definitely happened in that forest." Eugene then began to elaborate further. It seemed that there had been a disturbance in Elysium Forest for the past several weeks. Life had slowly been decaying and the calm aura of the forest turned into one of dread. And most importantly, Namu, who had been regularly visited by the townspeople, had disappeared.

Nunnally didn't know what to make of all this. She couldn't understand how a deity could just disappear without a trace, especially one who loved the attention of people, but there was one thing Nunnally understood. Because of Namu's absence, the forest became ill.

"Namu..."

After being briefed of the situation, Nunnally and the others entered Elysium Forest. It wasn't obvious right away, but everyone could sense a feeling of uneasiness in the air.

"Hey..." Bickslow began unsure. "Who is Namu?"

Evergreen looked up at him annoyed before snapping at him. "Weren't you listening?!"

"Of course I was!" Bickslow snapped back. "You guys just kept talking that I got confused who Namu was!"

"Evergreen! Bickslow!" Freed called out to silence them as he glared at them. "Please be mindful of Milady."

Nunnally then turned to them and smiled gently. "No, it's fine. Thank you Sir Freed." She said smiling before looking up at Bickslow. "I can tell you who Namu is, Bickslow." Nunnally paused for a moment with a pained smile as Laxus looked at her. "Namu... Namu is the guardian of this forest. It's almost been a year since then, but Laxus and I we're able to befriend him. Although his appearance can be a bit deceiving, he is what keeps this forest alive."

When Nunnally said that, everyone looked stunned. This was a surprise to even Laxus. He didn't think that Namu was as important to the forest as Nunnally said.

"What do you mean?" Bickslow asked with a still surprised face.

Nunnally looked at a tree right next to them. "I'm sure you feel it too." She calmly said smiling. "Everything... every tree... every shrub... dewdrop... every animal... even the tiniest of ants... everything is connected. Everything lives, everything breathes, and nothing can exist here without each other. And Namu... Namu is the being that keeps this fragile place in balance. His absence affects everything here. Without him..." Nunnally looked down with a slightly dark expression. "I'm not sure how this forest will survive."

"I didn't think that deer was that important..." Laxus finally spoke.

Nunnally simply smiled sadly at his words. "Think of it like a flower living in a pot. If its caretaker suddenly leaves, who waters it? Then what happens to the flower?"

"It wilts..." Laxus answered with a slightly upset look on his face.

Nunnally nodded. "No one else will take care of the flower, so it dies..." Nunnally said before continuing with a serious expression. "Namu is this forest's caretaker. So no matter what... we have to find him."

Understanding this, everyone split up to find a clue as to what happened. But when the time to regroup came, Nunnally didn't return.

"Milady still hasn't come back. What should we do?" Freed looked at his comrades with a stern yet worried expression.

Evergreen then looked at him upset. "Isn't is obvious! We have to go look for her!" She said before looking back at Laxus. "Right, Laxus?!"

Laxus was taken off guard by Evergreen's sudden question.

"Well?" She glared at him seriously. "We are going to look for her, aren't we?!" At this point, the entire Thunder God Tribe looked at him with a worried expression that was caused by Nunnally's sudden disappearance.

As his followers looked at him, Laxus began to doubt himself for a moment before regaining his usual serious, stern face. He knew what he needed to do, and that was look for Nunnally...

It took a while, but Laxus was finally able to track down Nunnally at the Great Tree of Elysium Forest—the same tree where they first encountered Namu. However, what Laxus expected to find there, wasn't what he thought at all.

The moment the Thunder God Tribe and Laxus arrived, Nunnally was flung hard against a tree as she screamed in pain. Her clothes were tattered and numerous scratches covered her body. This was a one sided battle—one that would end in Nunnally's defeat.

"Milady!" Freed yelled as Bickslow and Evergreen called her name.

"Well if it isn't more nuisances..." A woman by the name of Nyx said in an annoyed and cold tone, calling their attention. This new opponent had a sultry, uncaring atmosphere about her as she pushed her unruly, black hair back. Although she seemed nonchalant, it was obvious that she was very dangerous and powerful. "I would have preferred it if I did not have any interferences until the ritual was over, but oh well… Your presence doesn't change a thing." She finished with the same tone as she looked at Laxus and the others.

"I won't forgive you..." Nunnally angrily said as she struggled to get up.

Nyx simply glanced over in Nunnally's direction. "What? You're still alive?" She questioned unfazed. "Perhaps I was too gentle before."

Seeing that Nyx was going to use her magic on Nunnally again, the Thunder God Tribe hurried in front of Nunnally, trying to shield her from further harm. In that instant, Nyx snapped her fingers, setting off several explosions. The blast sent everyone flying back, including Laxus, who tried to hold his ground.

With everyone down, Nyx turned her head back towards them. Laxus then took this chance and summoned down his lightning but...

Nyx snapped her finger once more, creating another explosion that stopped Laxus' attack cold. "What annoying kids..." She said as she turned her head back at them. "Perhaps I should just end you all here."

"No way..." Bickslow looked at her in disbelief.

"She stopped Laxus' lightning?" Evergreen said finishing Bickslow's thought. They all couldn't believe it. Laxus was one of the most powerful men they knew, so for Nyx to stop his attack without even trying, it made them all realize that this woman was someone to be reckoned with.

Nyx had enough power to stop Laxus' attack with the snap of a finger. This made everyone lose confidence and wonder if they the strength to defeat this new opponent. Nonetheless, Freed stood up from his beaten state and looked at his comrades.

"Bickslow... Evergreen..." He said weakened from the explosion that hit his body. "It seems that we can't defeat her with one person's strength alone, but if we combine our power then perhaps..."

Freed didn't need to finish his sentence, Evergreen and Bickslow new exactly what he was thinking. Then they looked towards Laxus who nodded at them understanding.

Simultaneously, Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed unleashed their magic all at once.

"FAIRY MACHINE GUN: LEPRECHAUN!"

"BARYON FORMATION!"

"DARK ÉCRITURE: DESTRUCTION!" Freed yelled as he made his way towards Nyx.

Finally, Laxus released, his magic power to ensure their efforts worked. "HAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Just as all their attacks were about to reach Nyx, she snapped her fingers again, stopping every single one of them. The new explosions sent everyone flying back once more. Freed, however, had been the one to take on most of the damage since his attack was short-ranged.

The situation now seemed hopeless with everyone seriously injured and Nyx yet having taken on any damage. Nunnally saw this, and it pained her. Her dear friends were fighting so hard, but she couldn't help them. Her previous battle with Nyx had left her so weakened that she could barely move. She wanted to help Laxus and others, but most importantly, Nunnally wanted to stop Nyx before her 'ritual' was complete.

 _When she and the others were split up, Nunnally was led to the Great Tree by a gut feeling she had, but when she arrived, everything was still and quiet—with no sign of Nyx either. There was something off with the Great Tree, however._

 _Nearing the tree, Nunnally hesitated to touch it, but did so, knowing that it was the only way to find out what had happened here._

 _The moment her hand made contact, a surge of emotions flooded in her. Nunnally immediately backed away, frightened._

 _"No..." She slowly shook her head, not believing what she felt. "No... No... It can't be..." Nunnally looked like she would break down at any moment. "Namu..."_

 _In Nunnally's shocked state, an explosion suddenly set off in front of her causing her to fly back._

 _"Well what do we have here?" Nyx coldly said as she loomed over an injured Nunnally._

 _Nunnally then looked at her attacker with surprise before anger overtook her. "You were the one..." Nunnally quietly whispered._

 _Not hearing her words, Nyx continued. "Looks like an annoying pest is planning to interfere. But no matter… I'll simply put you out of commission before you become of any threat to me."_

 _Just as Nyx was about to snap her fingers again, Nunnally scattered to distance herself from her. "What did you do to Namu?!" She yelled once she materialized. Nunnally was able to dodge the explosion, but Nyx, however, was unfazed._

 _Glancing back at Nunnally, a smirk suddenly formed on Nyx's face. "You're worried about **that** thing?" She began. "Once I'm through with it, you can have it back. Although... I'm not sure what would be left."_

 _Nunnally grew angrier by how Nyx referred to Namu. She treated Namu as if he were an object with no feelings whatsoever. As Nunnally glared at Nyx, several tall thistle plants sprouted out. "CARTHAMUS LANATUS: THORN MISSILE!" She yelled before a storm of sharp needles headed straight for Nyx._

 _Nyx, however, set off another explosion that redirected Nunnally's attack back at her. This caused Nunnally to scream in pain as she felt the sharp thorns pierce her skin. To add on to this, Nyx created yet another explosion near Nunnally, sending her flying. "AAAAAAAGGGHH!"_

 _Every time Nunnally tried to retaliate, Nyx would stop every incoming attack. She was practically untouchable. This continued on even as Laxus' party arrived to see Nunnally's body bash into a tree._

Now everyone was severely injured, and Nunnally couldn't help but feel responsible. 'This all my fault...' She thought as she felt tears form.

Despite their injuries, everyone still kept fighting. Freed even used one of his newer spells, Dark Écriture: Absolute Shadow, to fight Nyx, but to no avail. He couldn't even get near her. Laxus resorted to using his dragon slayer magic, to Nunnally's surprise. She had no idea Laxus could use magic similar to Natsu's, but there wasn't time to worry about that.

Before the other's arrived, Nyx briefly explained what her true goal was to Nunnally when she had unleashed a melee of explosions on her.

 _"Once the ritual is complete, I'll finally achieve the power of the gods." She said before smiling. "Then everyone will kneel before me! I'LL BECOME THE GOD OF THIS WORLD!"_

 _When Nunnally heard her say this, she thought Nyx was insane, but when she saw the crazed looked in Nyx's eyes, Nunnally knew that there was something wrong about her. "A human becoming a god?" She quietly whispered to herself with shock. "What lunacy..."_

Nunnally, though, didn't know what to do as she saw her friends fall before her eyes. Nyx was so powerful as it was that not even an S-class wizard like Laxus could beat her. If Nyx were to obtain the power of a god, Nunnally wasn't sure if there would be anyone capable of defeating her.

"Everyone is going die..." Nunnally whispered as she looked like she would break down any moment. "Everyone is going to die… because of me..." 'I asked Laxus to come here… and the others came as a result of that. If I hadn't asked something so selfish… no one else would have gotten hurt.' As Nunnally thought this, images of **that night** played in her head over and over again. She didn't want anyone else she cared about to die too.

Thinking this, Nunnally recollected herself as she still laid on the ground injured. "I won't let anyone else will die..." She solemnly whispered as a carnivorous plant swallowed her whole.

Not a moment later, Nunnally's tattered clothing was replaced with the same clothing she wore that day (refer to chapter 01). Nunnally then stood from the ground, catching everyone's attention as she focused her eyes on Nyx.

Part of Nunnally's hair was now tied into a bun with four wooden hair sticks popping out. 'Teacher...' Nunnally thought as she referred to someone she met long before she came to Fairy Tail. 'You once told me it was forbidden... but this is the only way...' She then closed her eyes as both of her hands slowly reached for two hair sticks. Next, Nunnally scattered and materialized high above in the air where she strategically flung each stick into the ground.

Nyx tried to set off her explosions at Nunnally but she scattered and rematerialized at lightning speed – too fast for Nyx

'Where flowers bloom during spring is in the east.' She thought throwing down one hair stick. 'Now fertility and growth that reigns in summer… in the south. The harvest that indicates autumn… in the west.' "And finally..." She said aloud as she was about to throw down that last stick. "...winter, when life is silenced, IN THE NORTH!"

Each stick that was placed in a circle around Nyx represented the seasons in the four cardinal directions. This circle acted as a sort of barrier that prevented those within it from leaving. But that, alone, was not enough to stop Nyx and her 'ritual'.

With everything in place, Nunnally scattered once more and reappeared within the circle. Laxus and the others simply watched this as they laid severely injured. "Nunnally... what are you…" Laxus whispered, wondering what she had planned.

"You want to save yourself using some silly spell?" Nyx looked at Nunnally irritated as she raised her hand again about to trigger another explosion.

"It's not to save me..." Nunnally whispered before mouthing a chant. As she did this, two sets of tree roots sprang from the ground and restrained both Nunnally and Nyx's hands and arms before Nyx could use her magic again. Both girls then began to slowly fall to their knees in perfect symmetry.

Although Nyx struggled to break free from the roots grasp, Nunnally accepted their hold on her. Nunnally had finally figured out Nyx's weakness. She knew that no magic was all powerful; that every spell had their limitations and consequences, and Nunnally figured out Nyx's—freedom of movement. If Nyx didn't have enough room to move at least her fingers, then she wouldn't be able to trigger her explosions.

After Nunnally finished her incantation, ancient writing covered her body. Then, a bright, yellow light gleamed from the roots and began to creep up all to way from the base of her foot and making its way to her head as the same thing happened to Nyx.

"Your deeds may send you to the Underworld..." Nunnally quietly began as she spoke to Nyx. "...but please don't worry... I shall keep you company."

Nyx then gave a frightened look at Nunnally's calmness. "What the hell?!" She panicked as she struggled more. "Let go of me! I was going to become a god!"

As the yellow light began to reach Nunnally's head, a strange feeling came to Laxus. With this feeling lodged deep within him, he quickly yelled to Freed and the others. "We have to cut those roots!"

Seeming to realize something, everyone quickly did their best to get up and use their magic once more.

In a race against the clock, Laxus, Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen focused the last of their energy on the roots that held Nunnally as the bright light was about to consume her entire body.

'I'm sorry… But it seems that your daughter will not be able to return to you, Mother...' Nunnally thought, thinking of the place she would be going, but just as that thought came, the roots that held her arms broke their connection with the earth. In that moment, Nunnally sat paralyzed for a few brief seconds as the light and ancient scripture immediately retreated from her body right before she collapsed face flat in the ground.

With Nunnally's body now free, Laxus ran to her side as she laid half-conscious on the ground. "Nunnally wake up!" He yelled panicked as he held her in his arms. "Nunnally!"

As her eyes slowly blinked open, Nunnally looked up at him. "Laxus?" She called out in a weak voice. "How… How am I still alive?"

Laxus then angrily lashed out at her "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"I..." Nunnally struggled to find words as she looked like she would cry. "I thought... I thought it didn't matter what happened to me." She looked down ashamed as a tear streamed down her face. Nunnally had never thought that her life held any meaning, so it didn't matter to her if something happened to her. She just wanted to help her friends.

"SO YOU THOUGHT I'D BE OKAY WITH WATCHING THE WOMAN I LOVE DIE?!" Laxus furiously yelled, not realizing his unintentional confession. There was such an angry expression on Laxus' face, but Nunnally somehow saw the kindness it held as well.

Nunnally looked surprised for a moment but then began crying as she apologized for her actions. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." She repeatedly said into Laxus' chest with more tears streaming out her face.

The Thunder God Tribe simply smiled kindly at them as Nunnally cried her heart out with Laxus holding her tight and looking like he was about to cry as well.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**


	13. Chapter 13: The Death of a God

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 13: The Death of a God**

* * *

Even when Nunnally stopped shedding tears, Laxus still held her in his arms. The thought of losing Nunnally right in front of him was too much for Laxus to bear, but knowing that he had to let go soon, Laxus reluctantly did so.

"You okay?" He asked her.

"Yes, but..." Nunnally hesitated as she stared at her palm. "The spell was incomplete..." She trailed off.

"Nunnally!" Evergreen looked a bit upset at her. "What kind of spell was that? You had us so worried!" Even with her glasses, it was easy to see the tears forming on Evergreen's face.

"I'm sorry..." Nunnally apologized again as she looked down, hugging herself for comfort. "I used a forbidden spell in Plant Magic."

"Forbidden spell?" Bickslow questioned surprised.

Nunnally nodded even more ashamed of herself. "It is called Four Seasons. My teacher forbade me from ever using it, yet I still..." Nunnally looked like she would cry again but controlled herself. "He taught me everything about I know about Green Magic, but when I was learning how to use Plant Magic he warned me about Four Seasons. He told me that under no circumstance am I to use that spell because the cost of using it is too great." She explained as she continued. "It's a spell that can only be used once, and in order to perform it, I have to call upon ancient gods that have controlled the natural cycle of life of our world for eons."

Everyone stayed silent when Nunnally said this. They weren't sure of whether to believe it, but the fact of the matter was that Nunnally was about to sacrifice her own life, and they knew this.

"The goddess of youth and new life is Spring. Her domain lies in the east. The goddess, Summer, is symbolized by growth and reflection. She lives in the south." Nunnally simply looked down at the ground as she told them the old legend. "Autumn is the goddess of the harvest and change. She lies in the west. And finally, there is the goddess, Winter. She is the goddess of an end—otherwise known as **death**. Her domain is in the north. But despite the despair that Winter brings, she is also a bringer of hope."

"So that's the kind of spell Four Seasons is..." Freed said figuring it out. "A spell that bring upon new hope through death..."

Nunnally nodded again. "My body was supposed to be given to the earth, but the spell was incomplete..." She repeated as she looked back at the hair sticks. All four of them were broken beyond repair, indicating that they could never be used again. Suddenly, tears streamed down Nunnally's face as she tried to smile. "And because of that, my magic was taken instead."

Everyone looked shocked at her words.

"No…" Evergreen trailed off as she tried to process this sudden revelation.

"That can't be true!" Bickslow yelled upset. He refused to believe something like. He didn't understand how someone's magic could suddenly be taken like that, but Nunnally knew better.

"I can feel it." Nunnally smiled sadly as she looked at her palm. "My magic is gone, but that also means that..." She trailed off as she glanced at Nyx who was now in a hysterical state. Nyx gave a murderous glare towards Nunnally.

"I'll kill you!" She screamed trying to break free from the roots that still held her. "I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!"

Nunnally simply looked at her coldly. "I suggest you count yourself lucky that I only took away your magic. I will not forgive you for what you've done... especially not for Namu."

Even without asking, Laxus and others knew what Nunnally meant—they were all too late. Nunnally could feel it like she did with her magic. The forest was completely dead. Namu was dead...

They all stayed silent, with only Nyx's screams playing in the background, for what seemed like forever. Suddenly, however, with a blank look, Nunnally stood up and looked down at Laxus who still sat there. She did her best to smile at him as she spoke. "A wizard without magic is quite sad isn't it?" Although she was smiling, he could see that her eyes weren't. It was beyond painful for Laxus to see her like this, and Nunnally's next words were even more heartbreaking. "Let's go home, although... I don't think I can call Fairy Tail my home anymore." Nunnally kept trying to smile, but tears just kept streaming down. A wizard without her magic wouldn't be able to stay in a guild. Because of this, Nunnally would have no choice but to leave Fairy Tail—the only home she has left.

Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen were pained just by looking at Nunnally. She could no longer use her magic; the one thing that made Nunnally... Nunnally.

"I'm sorry…" Nunnally said as she futility attempted to wipe away her tears. "But do you think I could be alone for some time?" Nunnally, however, didn't wait for a response from anyone. She simply began to walk away, leaving Nyx in her hysteria. Laxus tried to go after her, but Freed grabbed his shoulder, stopping him. He didn't needn't need to say anything to Laxus. The look on Freed's face told him that Nunnally needed to be alone.

Once Nunnally secluded herself far enough, she leaned against a nearby tree and cried silently to herself. It surprised Nunnally how much tears her body could produce. Just as she felt that she had already cried enough, more and more tears streamed down her face. Everything had happened too fast for her. She almost lost her dear friends and her life. She lost her magic. But worst of all... The reason why she came to Elysium with the others was all for naught. Namu was lost too, and with him, the forest.

Nunnally continued to cry until she heard a woman call her name. Thinking that it was Evergreen with the others, she immediately wiped her tears. But when Nunnally turned to the direction she left them, she found herself surrounded by nothing. Everything was white. It was as if she entered a room that hadn't been filled nor had any windows.

"LAXUS!" She looked around frightened. "BICKSLOW! SIR FREED! EVERGREEN!" She called out but received no response. As Nunnally looked around, she heard the same woman's voice call to her.

"Please do not be frightened, my child." She gently said. Nunnally shielded her eyes as she felt blinded by the woman's radiance. Her face was not visible, but the light the woman emitted, made Nunnally realize she was other worldly.

"Are you..." Nunnally looked at her surprised as she tried to make out her appearance. Pure white clothes, delicate arms, and golden hair. Even without being to see her face, Nunnally was awed by her beauty.

"This is the second time you and I have spoken." The divine being spoke alarming Nunnally. "You may know me as the Mother of All, my child."

Nunnally looked down, unsure of what to say. She couldn't remember ever meeting her before, but then Nunnally realized something. "The Mother of All? If that is true, then that means Namu too!" She said panicked. Nunnally knew that this divine being must have given birth to Namu as well. It was a long shot, but Nunnally needed to try and save the now dead Namu. "I know I shouldn't be asking this of you, but you can bring him back! Without him, the forest is-"

"I am sorry..." The Great Mother's voice echoed interrupting Nunnally. "But that is something beyond even my abilities. Once a divine being has fallen, he can never be revived." She explained as Nunnally looked down dejected. "Nunnally..." The Goddess called out to her. "Your connection with nature is stronger than in any human I have ever encountered."

"My connection with nature?" Nunnally questioned.

"Yes." The Goddess replied before continuing. "There is only one other whose talents has ever come close to yours, and as his student, you have far proven to have exceeded his." As soon as she said that, Nunnally knew who she meant. The man who had taken her in after she lost everything, and 4th in the totem of the Ten Wizard Saints. Her beloved teacher, Warrod Sequen. "It is for this that I have decided to restore your magic."

Just as Nunnally was about to say something, the Goddess touched the center of Nunnally's forehead, leaving her entire being paralyzed. The sudden surge of magic that flowed within her, felt too much for Nunnally to handle. As soon as the Goddess finished, Nunnally fell to her knees, trying to catch her breath.

Still breathing hard, Nunnally then looked at the palm of her hand before closing it. It was true; Nunnally's magic was back. She felt relieved for a moment but then remembered Namu. She then looked up at the Goddess as she was still kneeled before her. Nunnally couldn't be happy like this. Namu didn't do anything to deserve a fate like he did.

"Namu cannot be revived, but all is not lost." The Goddess reassured Nunnally as she handed her a small seed. "Namu was born from a great tree, and this seed is his legacy. With time, a new guardian may be born. So please allow me to entrust you with this task, my child. Please make sure that this little one is born into your world."

Nunnally didn't say anything. She simply looked at the tiny seed in her hand. 'This is what was left of Namu?' She thought wanting to cry once more, but held back her tears as she held it close to her heart.

"There is also one more thing I wish to entrust you with." The Goddess looked down at her as she held out a small, old book. "There are many things that you still need learn, young one, but please use this ancient tome to write your own tale."

"Ancient tome?" Nunnally questioned as she opened it to find it blank. "But there's nothing written-" She looked up to find herself back in Elysium Forest. "Write my own tale?" Nunnally questioned as she looked at the book cover before hearing her name.

"Nunnally!" Evergreen ran up to her looking worried. "What happened? We've been looking everywhere for you!"

Seeing them come towards her, Nunnally slowly stood up, holding the book close to her chest in one arm and looked around at everyone before smiling down gently at the small seed in her other hand. "Something very good..."

Several hours later, Nunnally and Laxus were done planting the new seed in a large clearing. Nunnally had long hid the old book she received in her bag and asked the Thunder God Tribe to turn Nyx over to the military and leave her punishment to the Magic Council.

"So you're magic's back now?" Laxus anxiously asked. Nunnally lied to him, saying that losing her magic was only temporary, when in reality, it was restored by the Mother Goddess. Laxus, however had no way of knowing the truth since Nunnally was the only who spoke to her, and she preferred to keep it that way.

Nunnally nodded shyly, remembering what Laxus had said earlier. _"SO YOU THOUGHT I'D BE OKAY WITH WATCHING THE WOMAN I LOVE DIE?!"_ 'The woman I love...' Nunnally thought as she blushed furiously. Laxus' confession made her extremely happy, but she grew flustered as she remembered that she hadn't even acknowledged it when he did.

As Nunnally was trying to sort out her feelings, Laxus looked down at her worried. "Hey... Are you sure you're okay?"

His words startled Nunnally. She felt that she had to answer him no matter what, and, thus, looked up at him with a serious face. "L-Laxus!" She said louder than expected, startling him in return.

"Y-Yeah?" He asked a bit freaked out by her nervousness.

Nunnally took a moment to calm down before speaking more quietly. "Laxus... about your..." She trailed off before finally saying it. "A-About what you said before..."

"What I said before?" Laxus questioned before remembering. 'Shit...' His eyes went wide as he remembered what he told her earlier. 'That's right! I just blurted all out those things! Don't tell me she's going to reject me?' Even though Nunnally hadn't said anything yet, Laxus looked dejected.

Nunnally, however, didn't notice this. "Laxus..." She repeated his name again as she nervously clasped her hands together. "For a long time now, I have been feeling unsure about something. I thought I was fine with things staying the way they are, but I realize now that I'm not. I want to write things my way!" She passionately said thinking about the blank book the Goddess gave her. "That's why... that's why I want to tell you about my feelings for you! I want to tell you that I'm in love with you, Laxus!"

Laxus looked down at her stunned, not saying a word.

This frightened Nunnally. She thought that perhaps she had it wrong, and that Laxus didn't actually confess to her. "L-Laxus?" She called his name with nervous fear. But just as she did, Laxus suddenly embraced her tightly. "L-Laxus?!" She said again with surprise this time.

"Just be quiet..." He growled in a low voice, sounding upset. But, despite his tone, Laxus wasn't upset at all. It was quite the opposite. With every passing second, Laxus held Nunnally tighter and tighter.

"L-Laxus..." Nunnally called his name as he ignored her. "Y-You're hurting me..."

Realizing this, Laxus immediately let her go. "Sorry..." He apologized as Nunnally gasped for air. "But do you mind if I just make sure of something?" He anxiously asked.

Nunnally looked confused for a moment before answering. "I-I don't mind..."

"Y-You said you're in love with me, right?" Laxus asked, knowing that it was a stupid question but felt like he needed to ask it anyways.

Nunnally nodded, a bit unsure as to why Laxus was acting strange. But soon as she did, Laxus hugged her again. "I love you too..." Laxus whispered relieved as Nunnally struggled to breathe until she realized what he said.

Even though Laxus held her a bit too tightly, Nunnally didn't care. She simply returned his embrace, elated by their shared feelings.

It had been almost a year since Nunnally and Laxus first entered Elysium Forest together and back then, Laxus' love was one-sided. But now, these two left the Forest hand in hand.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 ** _In the Next Arc..._**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I'll tell you guys, I cried when I wrote this. So many bad things happened to Nunnally all at once that would make anyone fall into despair, but then all her hope was restored. Just like winter, right?**

 **Don't worry guys. Just because these two finally got together, that doesn't mean the story end here. It'll be a long time before this tale is anywhere near complete. Thanks for reading guys. I'll see you all next chapter.**

 **See you next time!**


	14. Chapter 14: Change

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 14: Change**

* * *

It had been about four months since Laxus and Nunnally confessed their love for each other. And today these two young lovers were out enjoying the autumn maple leaves in Magnolia's park. That is until...

"Laxus?" Nunnally called seeming a bit tired.

"Yeah?" He replied with the same tired expression.

"I believe they're following us again..." She said referring to the Thunder God Tribe. Sadly, though, Laxus was fully aware of this.

Ever since they found out that Nunnally and Laxus were dating, the Thunder God Tribe had been prying their noses into their love life. They meant well, annoyingly well, but well nonetheless. Laxus, however, did not appreciate their 'concern'.

"Hey!" Laxus yelled angrily as he had an arm around Nunnally's shoulder. "We know you're there, so hurry up and come out!"

Not much later, each of the member of the Thunder God Tribe had large bumps on their heads as they lined up side by side sitting down while Laxus gave them a little lesson on boundaries.

"So which one of you thought of this?" Laxus coldly said, glaring at them.

No one said anything. Evergreen and Bickslow simply looked at Freed annoyed as he hung his head in shame. "Well... looks like we found the little weasel." Laxus confirmed as he cracked his neck and knuckles.

Seeing this, Nunnally immediately grabbed Laxus' arm in a panic as she tried to calm him down. "U-Um Laxus, perhaps we should talk this through!" She nervously exclaimed before she looking down at the Thunder God Tribe and kindly spoke. "Sir Freed, why on earth would you and the others be following us? This isn't the first time this has happened, but why?"

Freed simply expressed shame as he spoke. "Please forgive me, Milady... I meant no harm..." He emotionally began as he looked down. "It's just that as the leader of the Thunder God Tribe it is my duty to safeguard Laxus, and that means you as well Milady."

The others simply continued to stare at Freed with annoyed looks along with Laxus himself.

"Like I said." Laxus glared at him. "I don't need you butting into my personal life. If you want to help me on jobs, fine, just don't bother us when we're on a date." He growled as he glared even more harshly. "Got it?"

"Honestly..." Evergreen still looked at Freed annoyed. "We told him to leave you two alone, but he dragged us along."

"Yeah..." Bickslow added blushing a bit as he tried not to make eye contact with Nunnally. "It's pretty funny, but it can get embarrassing watching you two."

Nunnally simply blushed at this, thinking of all the times she and Laxus were intimate. She realized that they were probably all watching.

Immediately upon hearing this, sparks of electricity flew out from Laxus as he got angrier. This made the trio shrink down in fear as they promised to never interrupt them again.

"Man..." Laxus sighed as he had his arm around Nunnally while they rested on a bench. "Those three are getting annoying."

"T-They meant well..." Nunnally said, not exactly disagreeing.

Laxus sighed again. "But it's not just them..." He said looking down at her bothered. "Everyone else has been getting more annoying than usual." Nunnally knew what Laxus was talking about. Ever since the two began dating, everyone in the guild had been teasing them. Even Natsu, one of the most oblivious people you could find, teased them whenever he wanted to get Laxus to fight him (which surprisingly worked most of the time). This had been getting a bit too out of hand to the point where Laxus and Nunnally couldn't even be alone for more than thirty minutes. Because of this, Nunnally wanted to find a way to stop this the endless interruptions in order to put Laxus' mind at ease.

The next day, Nunnally pondered what she should do about Nunnally and Laxus' problem. If she didn't make it clear that she and Laxus didn't appreciate the guild's constant teasing and interruptions, nothing would change. Thus, she decided to go ask Makarov for advice as both the guild's master and as Laxus' grandfather.

"It's very usual for you to be asking advice. Is something bothering you?" Makarov curiously asked Nunnally as they sat in his office.

"Well..." Nunnally trailed off unsure. "I... I wanted to know your thoughts about the relationship between Laxus and I. To tell you the truth, I'm beginning to think that many, including you, Master, do not like us being together."

Master Makarov simply sighed at this. "You have it wrong Nunnally." He said catching Nunnally's attention. "I'm actually relieved that you're with Laxus..." Makarov began as he looked up in deep thought. "When that boy found out that I expelled his father from the guild, he began acting out. I wasn't sure if he would ever look let that go. He became such an angry child that I wondered if I failed him as his grandfather, but because he came to love you, I haven't been so worried about him anymore. He's been less angry..." He trailed off with a small, relieved smile before continuing. "But I think your relationship has been good, not only for him, but for you as well, Nunnally."

This came to as a surprise to her. Nunnally wasn't sure what would make the Master say that. "What do you mean?"

Master Makarov looked at her seriously for a moment. "Nunnally, we both know that you've never really liked being around others." He said as Nunnally remembered old feelings she once held.

It was true, but no one in guild, not Laxus nor Master Makarov, was privy to Nunnally's past. It was her secret, **that incident** , which turned Nunnally into a recluse. She was so frightened of losing the people important to her again that she ended up being only comfortable around plants—beings that she wouldn't get attached to. It was like this for the first five years she was in the guild. She only ever spent her time tending to the small garden Makarov allowed to create outside the guild while rarely talking to the other guild members. It was because of this that Makarov often worried about her. Recently, however, Nunnally had become less distant and began having more conversations with others—much more than ever before.

"People change people." These three simple words were Makarov's explanation.

Nunnally eyes suddenly grew wide. She couldn't believe it. She didn't think she had changed so much, but when she thought about it, Nunnally did think there something was different about herself. She wasn't as scared or lonely as she was before, and it was all because Nunnally loved Laxus so much that she was able change.

"But I will talk to the others about their prying. I've noticed that Laxus has been upset about this." Makarov said bringing a smile to Nunnally's face.

'So Master did take notice of it..." She thought happy that his grandfather paid attention to Laxus' feelings. "Thank you, Master!" Nunnally happily exclaimed a little too loud, causing her to cover her mouth embarrassed.

Makarov simply laughed at this. "It's not like you to get so passionate about something!" He happily grinned.

Nunnally blushed as she bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry! I'll be taking my leave now." She said before clumsily walking out of the room.

As he watched Nunnally leave, Master Makarov sighed as he smiled. "If he's with her, I don't think I'll have to worry about that boy..."

Several weeks after the Master's and Nunnally's conversation, the older guild members began paying less and less attention to Nunnally and Laxus' business—moving on to bigger and better things. Sometimes, however, the younger generation (mostly Natsu) still teased them (he was picking a fight).

And today, Nunnally and Laxus were having yet another date in Magnolia's beautiful park. This date was different, however. Since there were absolutely no interruptions, Laxus had no reason to get angry. He simply enjoyed his time with Nunnally as they sat on a bench.

"It's quite peaceful isn't it?" Nunnally asked him with a gentle smile.

Laxus had his arm around Nunnally as he looked up pondering this. "Yeah... it is. It's kinda weird that no one's bothering us, but I'm not complaining." He smiled as he closed his eyes comfortable.

Nunnally was happy about this. She was joyed that Laxus hadn't been as upset lately as he was just a few weeks ago.

"I'm glad..." She whispered as she leaned on him.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys, I hope that you all liked this small side story. Sorry it was a little short, but don't worry. There's more to come.**

 **I'm just happy that so many of you are reading this story. 60 likes and over 2700 reads! I think that's cause to celebrate, guys! So while you guys continue reading, I'll be popping out the figurative champagne. And please comment. I love to hear feedback from all my wonderful readers. You guys are the best!**

 **Next week will be a Nunnally chapter, so look forward to it!**

 **See you next time!**


	15. Chapter 15: Attraction

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 15: Attraction**

* * *

Winter quickly came along with the annual S-class trials. This meant that Laxus, being an S-class wizard, would have to leave Nunnally behind for a while to help out. Several people had been chosen for this year's trial but only Mirajane successfully achieved S-class. Soon after his return, however, Laxus took on an S-class mission that would have taken at least a month. Because of this and the cold weather winter brought, Nunnally spent most of her time indoors, for she didn't do well in harsh conditions.

However, on one particular mild winter day, Nunnally decided to take on a job. There was a pest problem a few towns over. It was a simple request, so Nunnally was able to finish it quickly, but on the way back to Magnolia, she heard two villagers speaking in hushed whispers.

"Are you sure about that?" A male villager asked his friend.

"I'm telling you, it's true! This guy has been all around Fiore! He's the one who's been running those illegal gem markets!" His buddy responded.

"I just hope the Military catches him soon..."

"Well don't count on it. By the sound of it, it looks like he can get out of anything. Rumor has it that he's sly—a real ladies man too."

Nunnally wasn't eavesdropping at all. She had just been passing by these villagers when she heard them talking. She hadn't expected to hear that at all, but their conversation made Nunnally a bit curious, so she decided to tell Master Makarov about it when she returned to see if he had heard anything about the matter.

As Nunnally continued her trek home along a dangerous mountain pass, the earth beneath her feet suddenly gave way. Nunnally then immediately tumbled several meters down and into the cold, thin layer of snow.

"That hurt..." She struggled to say as she picked up her aching body before wiping off snow from her head and clothes.

As soon as she lifted herself up, Nunnally inspected her surroundings. She ended up inside the thin forest that was at the base of the mountain. Just as Nunnally was about to use her scatter technique get back up the mountain, she suddenly heard a strange low grumble come from deep within the forest. Nunnally didn't like the sound it made, but still decided to investigate.

It took several hours for Nunnally to locate the source because the sounds she heard came at random times with no pattern to them whatsoever. Unlike what she thought, the noises originated from directly outside the forest, in, what seemed to be, a large dirt expanse that probably stretched for miles. There were plenty of pits and high hills of loose rock and earth scattered throughout it that it made Nunnally think that the area was some sort of mining or construction site.

As Nunnally walked through this expanse, she scanned the area when she suddenly noticed a large, dark shadow moving on the ground beneath her feet. It was then that she realized the shadow came from an object directly above her. Nunnally then quickly looked up to find that a giant boulder was about to fall on her. As soon as she saw this, she immediately scattered and materialized a few yards away where she tripped backwards, landing directly on her rear.

The second she fell down, the large piece of rock crashed down where she originally stood. Nunnally simply looked frightened for a minute. If she hadn't noticed that boulder, she would have been crushed, but then another thought sprung onto Nunnally. There was nothing around where that boulder could have fallen from. There were no cliffs near her. If anything, any boulder in the area would have rolled down one of the steep hills that surrounded her. This rock floated in midair.

Nunnally sat on the flat earth, pondering this strange phenomenon as a cold bead of sweat ran down her cheek from the fright.

"Oops! Sorry about that!" She suddenly heard a man's voice call out to her from a distance. When she looked over to its source, Nunnally saw a sharply dressed man who appeared to be around her age atop one of the large earthen hills before he carefully slid down the slope and ran to her. "Are you okay?" He kindly asked as he held out his hand to her."

"Y-Yes... thank you..." Nunnally said unsure as she took his hand, getting up.

"I'm really sorry about that." All Nunnally could do was stay silent as she looked at him confused. She didn't know why he was apologizing. "But it's quite a surprise… I didn't think I'd find such a pretty girl out here." The man smiled familiarly.

Nunnally was taken surprised by his sudden compliment, but smiled politely. "You flatter me." She wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about this stranger that made Nunnally wary of him. By the looks of it, it was obvious he was a gentleman who mostly likely came from a wealthy family. He wore black dress gloves along with a black coat, and his black hair was cleanly cut. Nunnally didn't understand why someone like him would be out in the middle of nowhere.

"I would never lie to a woman as beautiful as you." He smiled before putting his hand across his chest as he slightly bowed. "But please allow me to apologize to you. I am Jericho, Miss...?" He said, kissing Nunnally's hand as he tried to coax her name out of her."

"Nunnally Wallace..." She answered uncomfortable. With a strange man like Jericho flirting with her, Nunnally wished Laxus was with her. She didn't really like how familiar he was being with her. "Sir Jericho..." Nunnally called his name. "May I ask what it is you are doing here?"

Jericho straightened his body up tall as he gave her a seductive smile. "I'm just doing a little excavating..." He coolly said.

"Without any equipment...?" Nunnally said, not believing him as she remembered what the villagers said. _"He's the one who's been running those illegal gem markets! By the sound of it, it looks like he can get out of anything. Rumor has it that he's sly—a real ladies man too."_ 'Excavations... How familiar he's being with me...' Nunnally thought growing more suspicious.

Jericho simply chuckled at this. "Well I don't really need much..."

Nunnally's wariness grew as she felt compelled to ask her next question. "May I also ask what exactly you are excavating?"

Jericho suddenly stopped smiling before forcefully grabbing Nunnally's arm. "My dear, haven't you heard that inquisitive women are unpopular?" He smiled with frightening eyes.

"You're the one who has been running the illegal gem markets, aren't you?" Nunnally asked him before seeing several small stones float behind Jericho. The moment she saw this, she immediately scattered as the stones hurled towards her at an incredibly high speed. Luckily, Nunnally narrowly missed them and materialized far away from her apparent enemy.

Jericho then put his hands in his coat pockets and seductively smiled once again at Nunnally. "You really shouldn't have asked me that question, Miss Nunnally. Even if I do think you're cute, I still can't let you go so easily." He casually said with a smile before looking at her coldly. "Who knows who you'll blab to…"

Nunnally's face suddenly turned serious as she saw Jericho use a magic she had never seen before. 'He is able to control those stones... Is this Earth Magic?' She thought seeming a bit nervous.

As Nunnally tried to figure out what magic he was using, Jericho took out his hands from his pockets before slowly taking off his gloves. "Looks like I have no choice..." He sighed looking a bit apologetic. A small pebble then landed in his hand before he flicked it at Nunnally with great force.

The pebble came at her so fast that Nunnally needed to scatter to dodge it. It was as if Jericho were firing a gun.

"Such beautiful petals your body becomes..." Jericho said, seeming touched. "It reminds me of cherry blossoms."

Immediately after he said that, Nunnally shivered slightly. Jericho really gave her the creeps. However, she soon focused as she got ready to use her own magic "Ironwood!" She cried out as an incredibly strong tree wood shot up from the ground towards him.

Unfortunately for her, Jericho skillfully leaped on it as leverage for an even bigger jump. Nunnally looked at him in awe as he landed on a floating rock. "You're quite cute when you're surprised. It really makes me want to give you a kiss." He said as he straightened his coat.

Nunnally shivered again before she noticed Jericho shoot more pebbles. She then scattered high up into the air and used one of her special attacks. "Spore Cloud!" She yelled before blowing into the circle her right hand made as a cloud of toxic spores came out.

Jericho, however, used the rock he stood on to float up higher, completely dodging it. "I'm afraid you don't stand a chance again my Magnetic Magic, my dear, so please make this easier on both of us." He called down as he watched Nunnally fall.

'Magnetic Magic?' Nunnally thought as she was about to crash back down to the ground, but just before impact, she scattered once again to Jericho's height before she was shot with another pebble. This routine went on for almost an hour as Nunnally tried to figure out a way to get close to him. She simply kept scattering, being struck by his high speed flying rocks from time to time.

Nunnally then scattered once more before being shot down by a large rock. The impact between her and the ground created small crater. "It hurts..." Nunnally said pained as she tried to get up. She, however, fell back down, hearing a metallic sound from beneath her. 'What is this?' She questioned as she looked at the shiny, dark silver metal that peeked out from the impact. 'Iron?' All of a sudden, Nunnally had a flashback to her childhood, realizing something.

 _"Why won't they stick?" A young Nunnally asked herself as she held two pieces of silver._

 _"That's because they are not magnetic..." Abelia answered as she turned the page in the book she was reading."_

 _Both girls were sitting in the Wallace Family's library. Abelia was often found reading here while Nunnally usually found some way to entertain herself as she wanted to find a way to spend some time with her elder sister._

 _Nunnally looked at the silver pieces closely before saying something else. "But they're metal... I thought all metals stuck together..."_

 _Abelia sighed as she closed her book. "Metals can't stick together if they are not affected by a magnetic field." She said, looking at her sister bored._

 _"Magnetic field?" Nunnally asked tilting her head._

 _"It's too complicated to explain to a child, but I will just tell you only metals like iron and nickel are strongly affected by a magnetic field. That is why they stick together."_

"He's using the magnetic field here to control the iron..." Nunnally said realizing that there was iron all underneath the expanse and in the rocks. It was only a minor detail from her childhood, but, right now, it was incredibly important to Nunnally. "If I get away from here, then his magic will weaken."

"Have you given up?" Jericho called down to her still with a cool smile as he saw that she was not moving. Nunnally then glared up at him as she used an incoming gust of wind to scatter towards the forest.

Jericho looked at her surprised before following her. As he realized she was heading towards the forest, he gradually made his way down to ground level, looking a bit agitated.

Nunnally was now sheltered deep within the forest as Jericho stood meters from her. He then tried to flick another pebble at her, but it soon fell to the ground before it could reach her. "So this is you're limit..." Nunnally said as he glared at her. "It seems that without that magnetic field, you don't have very good control of your magic..."

Jericho then coolly scoffed. "It looks like you figured it out. The magnetic field is stronger in some places than others. However..." He trailed off smiling as he put his hand back in his pockets. The moment he did that, Nunnally was pulled down to the ground with great force. There was nothing there, but it was as if there were a crushing weight on her. "Gravity is a different story."

"Aaaahhhh!" Nunnally screamed in pain.

"You see I may not be able to create a magnetic field with my Magnetic Magic, but did you honestly think that was the only magic I knew? Changing the gravity around an object is child's play for me. After all..." Jericho smirked. "I've mastered Gravity Magic a long time ago."

Nunnally didn't say anything. She simply continued screaming in pain.

"I only raised the gravity here just little bit." Jericho chuckled amused by Nunnally's screams. "I wonder what would happen if I raised it... 3x? 4x?" He pondered as the gravity increased each time.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" Nunnally screamed louder.

Jericho then placed his thumb on his chin as if pondering something. "No that's no fun... Perhaps I should raise it to 8x." He continued as the ground beneath Nunnally's body quickly broke, creating a large crater.

"PLEASE STOP!" Nunnally gasped as she screamed louder. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Jericho then walked towards her before crouching down. "I would be more than happy to do that, Miss Nunnally, but you might end up spreading some nasty rumors about me." He apologetically said with a smile. "If my family catches wind of what I've been up to, they just might disown me. We can't have that, can we?"

Nunnally simply continued screaming in agony as she was crushed by the force of gravity.

Jericho then sighed as if he were bothered. "I'll tell you what. If you swear to me that you won't mention my activities to anyone, I would be more inclined to look the other way. But if you can't..." He smirked a bit as the gravity were raised more causing Nunnally to scream louder. "I wonder how much it takes to completely crush a person?" Jericho looked amused as he tortured Nunnally.

Nunnally couldn't take it anymore. It felt like all of her insides we're being crushed and ripped apart. She knew that Jericho wasn't playing around. He was really going to kill her if she didn't obey. Now there was only one thing she could do to save herself.

"I..." Nunnally struggled to say as she gasped in pain. "I... admit... defeat..." These words caused Jericho to restore the gravity back to normal as he smiled victorious.

As Nunnally laid crying and quivering in pain and fear, Jericho lifted her chin as he spoke. "You really are cute, Miss Nunnally." It was difficult for her, but Nunnally tried to stay conscious as she shook looking at him. "I certainly hope we can meet again..." That was the last thing Nunnally heard him say before she blacked out on the cold ground.

"-ke up" Nunnally heard as she began to stir.

"WAAAAAKE UP!" Someone yelled as they slapped Nunnally awake.

Nunnally, who had now been laid on her back, gasped awake as she quickly sat up, holding her cheek in pain. "Why would you do that?!" She teared up before flinching at the shape her body was in.

"Because YOU wouldn't wake up, you big-boobed-bimbo!" Irma yelled at her upset. "Just count yourself lucky that I even bothered trying to wake you up!" She continued to yell as she pointed at Nunnally. "I must have been at it for a least an hour."

Irma the Puppet Master was suddenly before Nunnally with no sign of Jericho around whatsoever. It had been a long time since Nunnally had last seen Irma—long before she and Laxus began dating.

Nunnally seemed slightly jaded due to her earlier experience but spoke. "Thank you, Irma..." She trailed off before realizing something. "But what are you doing out here?"

Irma then looked away pouting. "I was just passing by when I saw someone lying in the snow. You should know how ticked off I was when I found out it was you."

Nunnally was dejected. "I apologize for causing you so much trouble. It seems that I wasn't strong enough..." She trailed off thinking about her battle with Jericho.

"I don't know what happened before I got here, and, frankly, I don't care." Irma said as she stood up, putting her hand on her waist. "You wanna sit around and whine about how weak you are? Fine! But you better be willing to do something about it! You're just going to make Laxus look bad if you continue on being this weak! So woman up!" She then sighed looking irritated. "Geez... I just don't understand what he sees in someone like you. It must be because you're nothing but a big-boobed-bimbo."

Nunnally ignored that last comment as she looked embarrassed. "Y-You know about Laxus and I?" She said knowing that Irma considered Nunnally a rival in love.

Irma looked away pouting once more. "Word gets around fast, you know? And I doubt it was a secret to begin with." She then looked back at Nunnally. "But don't think that I care or anything! I've moved on!" Nunnally tiredly smiled at her words. "But now that you've woken up, I'll be getting back to my training." She said as she turned around and looked back at Nunnally. "There's a bag by that tree over. Don't think I got it for you or anything. It's not mine, so I'm leaving it there." Irma then turned her head away before thinking aloud. "Now that I think about it… There's a pretty good hot spring around here. It really helped my aching muscles."

With those words Irma began walking away as a confused Nunnally grabbed the bag she mentioned to find medicine and bandages inside. Nunnally then smiled gently as she spoke. "Thank you..."

Irma then suddenly turned back towards her. "I don't need your thanks." She said before deviously smirking. "I've already gotten my payback. You should really go look in a mirror sometime."

As Nunnally sat more confused than before, she suddenly realized something, and went to get her compact from her own bag. At that moment, Nunnally was utterly mortified. It seemed that while Nunnally was unconscious, Irma drew graffiti all over her face with the word: Big-Boobed-Bimbo scattered around.

Despite Irma's cruel joke on Nunnally, she really meant well. She had given her medicine and told her about a nearby hot spring (although tried to make it seem like she wasn't helping her). Because of this, Nunnally couldn't help but smile before giving a depressed sigh due to her face's current condition.

Not long after, Nunnally found the spring Irma mentioned. She had long since washed off the drawings and words on her face and now focused on cleaning her wounded body. She had many scrapes and bruises but surprisingly very few serious injuries.

As Nunnally struggled to scrub her naked body, she flinched whenever she touched one of her wounds, but then suddenly stopped as she thought aloud. "I'm not strong enough..." She quietly trailed off with a few tears streaming down her face. "How could I ever of any use to Laxus when I'm this weak? He's always the one protecting me..." Nunnally couldn't help but think about all the times Laxus stepped in to save her. Back in Elysium when that vine monster had her constrained… When Irma was trying to kill her… And even back when she was fighting Nyx. Nunnally finally thought she would finally be able to help him with her spell, Four Seasons, but Laxus ended up being the one to save her, instead.

"At this rate... I won't be able to help him when he needs it the most." She continued as she held herself ashamed. "How is that I am the weakest one? Erza and Mirajane are the same age as me, but I'm the only weak one..." Nunnally's current strength couldn't compare to Erza's and Mirajane's. The difference in their skills was still too great.

"I want to get stronger... I want to get stronger..." She repeated a bit more loudly as more tears streaming down her face. 'I want to be strong enough to protect Laxus...'

With this new resolution in mind, Nunnally continued crying in the spring's waters.

 ** _To Be Continued…_**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 ** _"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength."_**

— **Arnold Schwarzenegger**

 **Her battle against Jericho, made Nunnally realize how truly weak she was. But now she's wants to change that. When a person decides to change… to become stronger… they will be able to accomplish things they never imagined they could. But where will Nunnally's resolve take her? Well… you'll just have to look forward to the next chapter. Thanks for reading!**

 **See you next time!**


	16. Chapter 16: Training Days

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 16: Training Days**

* * *

It was only a couple days since Nunnally returned to Fairy Tail from her brutal defeat. Because she often wore long sleeved dresses with long boots, most of Nunnally's wounds were hidden from view. Only a few scrapes and scratches could be seen on her face.

Despite the few injuries that were visible, a lot of the guild members were worried about them. They had all asked her what had happened, but Nunnally couldn't tell them the truth. All she could do was lie and tell them about how she fell from the mountain pass. That, however, was not the cause of her body's current state. Jericho had been the one to cause all this. He had inflicted so much pain and fear onto Nunnally that even though he was probably somewhere far away by now, he still frightened her.

Their battle was imprinted in Nunnally's mind. All she could think of now was how weak she really was, but she didn't want things to stay like this. She wanted to become stronger. Strong enough so that she wouldn't be able to hold her friends back—especially Laxus.

So now that Nunnally had this new resolution in mind, she walked towards Erza who sat enjoying a piece of her favorite dessert—strawberry cake. "Um... Erza?" Nunnally quietly called to her, getting the red headed girl's attention. "D-Do... Do you think I could ask you for a favor?" There was such a sad look on Nunnally's face that it made Erza focus all her attention on her instead of the cake she enjoyed so much.

"Sure" She replied with smile to make whatever was troubling Nunnally go away. "What do you need?"

Nunnally looked hesitant as a pained look formed on her face. "I-If it's not too much trouble... I... I was wondering... if I could train with you for a while."

Her words surprised Erza. She wondered why Nunnally would be asking this all of a sudden. The Nunnally she knew would never ask something like this. Erza then realized that something must have happened to her recently.

As Nunnally saw that Erza was silent and had a look of surprise on her face, she continued as she fidgeted in place. "I-I understand if you don't want me to bother you while you train."

"N-No, it's not that." Erza immediately replied trying to calm Nunnally down who seemed deeply worried about something. "I was just wondering why you're asking this all of a sudden. Did something happen?"

Nunnally still had a solemn look as she tried to find right words to that question. "I..." She trailed off. "I just realized... that compared to you and Mirajane... I'm weak. I thought... that maybe... if I train with you… I might become stronger."

Nunnally's sincerity made Erza smile. She didn't understand what was really bothering her, but whatever it was, she probably wouldn't want to talk about. There was one thing Erza understood, though, and that was Nunnally's desire to become stronger. There had always been this lingering feeling deep down in Erza's heart that told her that if she had been strong enough **back then** , she probably would have been able to save her dear friend, Jellal, from the darkness.

"Um... Erza?" Nunnally called out to her friend as she noticed that she was spacing out. "Are you okay?"

Hearing Nunnally voice, Erza immediately snapped out of it. "Yeah… I was just remembering something." Nunnally looked at her with a worried expression as Erza continued. "But you know you could have gone to that She-Devil with this too, right? Why did you come to me first?"

Nunnally looked down at her hands and smiled nervously. "P-Please don't tell her this, but Mirajane... isn't quite my ideal teacher." She said as she nervously fiddled around with her fingers, looking a bit pale. "She can also be quite frightening when she uses her magic." It wasn't exactly a lie that Mirajane was frightening. Her Stan Soul Takeover Magic and aggressive personality did scare most of the guild members, including Nunnally. Just thinking about Mirajane using her magic left Nunnally pale.

Although Erza didn't quite understand what Nunnally was talking about since she didn't find Mirajane scary at all, she didn't say anything else about that, but, instead, got back to Nunnally's request. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter much anyways. I'll be happy to help you. Just remember that I won't go easy on you." She finished with her usual calm smile.

If Nunnally hadn't been so happy about Erza agreeing to help her, she would have realized that Erza's words were just as frightening as Mirajane's magic. But by the time she did realize it, it was too late for Nunnally...

Erza had taken her to one of her favorite training spots—an open clearing that had been surrounded by cliffs on almost all sides. "Requip!" Erza yelled as she changed into her Black Wing Armor. "We'll be training here today. Are you ready?" She obliviously smiled as she ignored Nunnally's response and went straight to battle.

"Huh?! Wait! I'm not ready!" Nunnally tried to tell her before Erza flew straight at her with her sword in hand. As Nunnally realized that Erza wasn't listening, she immediately started to run away from Erza who was relentlessly headed straight for an attack. "TIME OUT! TIME OUT!" She kept yelling with small tears of fear forming on her face as Erza caught up with her and sent her flying with one strike.

Just as Nunnally landed several meters away, she heard Erza yell again. "Requip! Heaven's Wheel Armor!"

Seeing this and Erza's merciless face, Nunnally went pale. "I'm going to die here, aren't I?" She said quivering in fear.

This strange routine continued until evening. Erza continuously and mercilessly attacked Nunnally while the poor girl tried hard to defend herself. Her vines and plant barriers, however, stood no match against Erza when she was pumped up. By the end of the day, Nunnally laid on ground with an aching body and frightened face.

"Well I'd say today's been a productive day!" Erza gave a refreshing smile at the almost dead looking Nunnally, but oblivious to this, she continued. "We'll start training again first thing tomorrow morning, so make sure to get some rest."

When Erza said that, it looked like Nunnally's soul escaped her body. Just one day of training with her was brutal. Nunnally couldn't believe she had to go through it again, but when she remembered that she was doing this training to get stronger, she ultimately answered Erza with a face that looked like she wanted to cry. "Yes, Ma'am..."

Nunnally and Erza's training continued on for the next couple of weeks. Although Nunnally couldn't see it herself, Erza saw that she had been improving. It wasn't anything major, but Nunnally had finally been able to properly defend herself against Erza. Her plant barriers and vines had become stronger, and Nunnally even attempted to use actual attacks on Erza. None worked, but the fact that she was finally able to attack back, meant that Nunnally was, indeed, getting stronger.

As the two girls continued their training, Laxus returned back to the guild from his S-class mission. "Hey, where's Nunnally?" He called to two nearby guild members who were sitting down as he saw that his girlfriend was nowhere in sight. Laxus' stern face made them nervous as they answered looking at each other.

"W-We haven't seen her come by recently..." One guy looked away trying to avoid Laxus' glare.

"Y-Yeah... Ah! That right! W-Wasn't she doing something with Erza?" The other suddenly remembered as he pointed at his friend with some sweat running down his face.

"Y-Yeah, that's right!" His friend suddenly remembered too.

Laxus looked confused. "Erza?" Just as Laxus was about to ask them what she was doing exactly, Macao called out to him as he happened to walk by.

"Laxus! There you are! Welcome back!" He smiled. "If you're looking for Nunnally, she's been doing a bit of training with Erza."

"She's training?" Laxus questioned.

"Yep!" Macao continued happily. "You'll find her and Erza just outside the forest. Seems like she's been wanting to get stronger."

Just after Laxus gave Macao a quick thanks for telling him, he heading over to Nunnally and Erza's training spot.

When he arrived, Laxus saw that the two girls were in the midst of battle. Erza had requipped into her Flame Empress Armor to use against Nunnally's now more powerful attacks. The moment Erza used her flame attacks Nunnally summoned her strongest plant to shield her. "IRONWOOD!"

Seeing this, Laxus looked at Nunnally in awe. With Nunnally's current strength, she didn't stand a chance against Erza, but Laxus was amazed that she was actually holding her ground. This, however, didn't last long as Erza quickly requipped into her Japanese Cloth Armor and cut through the ridiculously strong wood with brute strength before sending Nunnally flying into Laxus' direction. But before she could get hurt any further, Laxus quickly caught her.

Nunnally had closed her eyes to prepare herself for the impact with the ground, but, instead, felt something else entirely. She then quickly opened her eyes to see that Laxus was carrying her in his arms. "L-Laxus?!"

"What? You're not going to welcome me back?" He joked as he carried her like a princess.

"W-Welcome back!" Nunnally answered with a flustered face said before Laxus gently put her down. "I-I'm sorry I couldn't come see you right away."

Noticing that Laxus was here, Erza changed back into her regular armor before walking up to greet him. "Hello, Laxus. It's nice to see that you've returned." She smiled before looking at Nunnally. "Since Laxus is finally back, we can stop here for today. I'll be heading back first, so you two can catch up."

"U-Um, yes!" Nunnally answered before bowing to her in thanks.

As soon as Erza left the two lovers alone, Laxus looked down at Nunnally with his hands in his pockets. "So you two were training?" As he looked at her, Laxus saw that Nunnally's head, neck, and hands had been covered in bandages.

Nunnally nodded shyly before she noticed that Laxus' body suddenly overshadowed her's. "Huh? L-Laxus?" She looked up confused.

Laxus, however, didn't say anything. He simply leaned forward with an expressionless face and placed his forehead against her's as he looked at her up close. "I-Is something wrong, Laxus?" Nunnally blushed at how close he was.

"I'm waiting for my "welcome back" kiss..." He said with his still expressionless face.

Those words made Nunnally blush harder as she began to fidget in place and wonder what she should do.

Nunnally's awkwardness made Laxus smile before he quickly moved to kiss her himself. Now Nunnally's face was completely red, but as if that weren't enough, Laxus next words almost made her pass out. "Don't think that that's enough for me." He smiled teasingly. "I've been away from my cute girlfriend for more than a month. Once we're behind closed doors, you'll be getting a lot more than just a peck on the lips."

Nunnally didn't say anything. She just nodded in a daze as she secretly looked forward to that.

"But look at you..." Laxus suddenly said with slight annoyance as he gently grabbed both her hands and inspected them. "I don't really mind that you want to train, but I don't like it when you end up like this."

"I'm sorry, Laxus..." Nunnally meekly apologized before looking down ashamed for having him see her in such a state. "It seems that I overdid it..."

Laxus just sighed at this as he looked at her worried. "Well, I guess it's fine for now. Just promise me that you'll take it easy for a while, so that these injuries can heal. Alright?"

Nunnally was touched by Laxus' concern for her, but it also made her feel terrible. She was training so that she wouldn't worry him—so that she wouldn't hold him back, but, in the end, she still made Laxus worry about her. His words made Nunnally realize that training like this wouldn't get her the outcome she wanted. She needed to find a different way to get stronger.

Thinking this, she answered Laxus with a loving yet apologetic smile. "Alright..."

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 ** _In the Next Arc..._**


	17. Chapter 17: Our Feelings

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 17: Our Feelings**

* * *

Several months had passed since Nunnally's days of training and spring quickly arrived. Both lovers were now another year older with Nunnally now being 17 and Laxus now 21, and with the mark of the new season, it now marked one full year of dating for these two. They had endured many hardships and grief together, and in the course of their relationship have had arguments and misunderstandings on more than one occasion, but because of all those things, they couldn't be more in love. And now, these two have found themselves in quite a compromising position in Laxus' apartment.

"Nunnally..." Laxus groaned in pleasure as he was laid down.

Nunnally, who sat atop of him, responded nervously with a heavy blush as she leaned forward and back in a rhythmic motion. "L-Laxus, d-does it feel good?"

"It does..." He groaned again as he closed his eyes, enjoying what Nunnally was doing. "It feels really good... You've gotten good at this..."

Nunnally sighed in relief as she applied more massage oil on her hand. "I'm just glad your back doesn't hurt any more. I'll be done in a few minutes." She said as she rubbed his back causing him to wince in pain for a moment.

Now for all you little confused, perverts out there, I'll give you a quick rundown as to what's going on. You see, Laxus had taken up a pretty intense S-class job that left most of his body, especially his back, sore. Nunnally, being the loving and supportive girlfriend she is, had been giving her beloved boyfriend aromatic and therapeutic massages using the aromatic oils and fragrances she created. Although it sounds absurd that Laxus would get back pain—being so young, he's constantly taking up S-class missions, so it's not surprising that even **he** gets sore.

"Your last job must have been quite tiring." Nunnally continued moving her hands with a worried expression.

Laxus, who had been laying on his stomach, shirtless this whole time, replied. "It was, but I took care of it no problem." He said, relaxed before turning his head to catch a glimpse at Nunnally. "Sorry you have to do this as soon as I get back."

Nunnally then gave him her usual calm and gentle smile. "I don't mind. I'm just glad that I can be of use to you. I cannot go on any S-class jobs with you, so it makes me happy that I can support you like this."

Laxus didn't say anything. He just turned his head forward with a small, awkward scowl—away from Nunnally in order to hide how red his face was. Despite the face he made, Laxus was incredibly happy. He felt so lucky to have a girlfriend like Nunnally—someone who always wanted to help and make him happy, but it was for this reason that Laxus also felt frustrated with himself.

The two had been dating for about a year now, and, for the great game of baseball's sake, he had only been able to get to the first base. Laxus, despite being shy, was still a man, so he had been wanting to do a lot more with Nunnally but didn't want to pressure or scare her off. His frustrations became even more problematic for him considering that Nunnally was giving him, what felt like, quite the 'sensual' massage.

Just as Laxus was thinking about how much he wanted her, Nunnally spoke, making him feel embarrassed at his thoughts. "I've finished. Do you feel better now?"

Laxus didn't answer right away. Instead, he sat up, stretched his arms a bit, and moved his neck and shoulders around. The fact that nothing hurt anymore made Laxus smile before he turned to thank his girlfriend. "Yeah, I do. Thanks, Nunnally."

Although Laxus meant it, he wanted to tell her something else as well. '"Now how about I make you feel good too?"' As he thought of this question, he immediately ignored it, thinking that it was a bad idea to say aloud. 'Like I can say something as embarrassing as that anyways...'

"I'm glad." Nunnally smiled, oblivious to what her boyfriend was thinking, as she sat down on her knees.

Noticing Nunnally sit like this, Laxus immediately took the opportunity to lay his head down on her lap as he faced her stomach to hug her waist.

Nunnally couldn't help but blush before quickly calming down. Laxus' behavior put a small smile on her face as she subconsciously began to stroke his hair.

This, however, didn't last long as Laxus realized how close he was to her most private area and immediately sat up, feeling his face get red again.

Just as Nunnally was about to ask him what was wrong, Laxus interrupted her. "N-Nunnally... W-Why don't the two of us go out?" He nervously asked.

"Right now?" Nunnally asked as she wondered what on earth had gotten into him. It was around noon, so that part wasn't strange, but the way Laxus acted was.

"Yeah, I'll take you any place you want. We can even go shopping."

As much as Nunnally wanted to ask him what was going on, she somehow felt he didn't want her to, so she complied with his offer. "Well, I have some errands I need to run. Do you mind helping me out?"

With those words, the pair spent the rest of the day taking care of Nunnally's errands which helped Laxus keep out **those** thoughts, but things for him, however, were bound to escalate.

Several days later, Nunnally and Evergreen were shopping in town. The two girls happily chatted and looked at clothes the entire morning, but thoughts of Laxus' behavior plagued Nunnally's head. She couldn't help but wonder what was bothering him. Because of this, she subconsciously let out a sigh as she picked up a blouse she saw folded on a table.

"What's got you so down?" Evergreen asked across from the same table Nunnally was at.

Nunnally sighed again as put back the blouse and answered. "I'm worried about Laxus..."

"Haaaah?" Evergreen looked at her confused before she gave her a teasing smile. "What, did you two fight?"

"N-No!" Nunnally immediately replied before looking down embarrassed. "At least... I don't think so..." She trailed off with a depressed face.

"You don't think?" Evergreen questioned. "What does that mean?"

"It's just that Laxus has been acting very strange lately." Nunnally explained as she told her best friend what had been going on the past few days.

"Well he always acts strange when it comes to you." Evergreen nonchalantly said after Nunnally finished explaining. "I don't really think you have to worry. He'll probably realize how he's been acting and try to find a way to make it up to you later like always. It's nothing new."

"But I am worried..." Nunnally tilted her head looking depressed.

It was at that moment that Evergreen placed both her hands on Nunnally's shoulders and looked at her with a serious face. "Nunnally..." She began, looking like she was about to tell her something important.

"Evergreen..." Nunnally smiled and clasped her hands together with eyes full of hope. 'She is worried about him after all...' She thought as tears of happiness began to form on her face.

"Nunnally..." Evergreen repeated. "PLEASE STRIP."

"WHAT?" Nunnally froze.

"I need you to strip. How else are you going to try this on?" Evergreen calmly looked at her as she held up a loose fitting blouse and long skirt.

"Oh, I see..." Nunnally hung her head while forcing a smile and wanting to cry. 'I was wrong! She's not worried at all!'

Poor girl... Nunnally couldn't even get decent advice from her best friend, and Laxus... Well Laxus was fighting his own battle...

"I should just tell her, right?" Laxus muttered to himself as he sat on his couch. "Maybe she wants **that** too... yeah... yeah maybe she does, so I'll just go ask right now." He continued, trying to convince himself before quickly getting up and heading to his front door. "I'll ask her right no-"

"Laxus?"

Laxus opened his front door to see that Nunnally was about to knock.

"N-Nunnally..." He awkwardly greeted as he tried to keep his cool. "W-What are you doing here? You didn't say you were coming by today."

Nunnally looked at him a bit worried for a moment, but quickly said her piece. "I'm sorry for dropping by unannounced, but I wanted to see if you would like to go on a job with me." She began as she held up a request poster to him.

"A job?" Laxus questioned, a bit surprised.

She nodded. "It's been a while since we had a job together. It'll be nice do one after so long."

"Oh yeah?" Laxus had a dazed face as he looked at his girlfriend. He was just thinking about her and then she appeared in front of him like magic. "Uh... c-come on in. You can tell me about it inside." He blushed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck as she followed him inside. 'This is bad...' He thought distraught. 'I didn't think I'd be alone with her this soon.'

After Nunnally sat down, she continued telling him about the job. "It's a bit of a ways off, but I don't mind walking." She smiled cheerfully. A little too cheerfully...

It seemed that our heroine had ulterior motives for inviting Laxus which was highly unusual for her, but seemed necessary. She noticed lately that whenever they were intimate, Laxus would start acting strange. She had no idea what was causing him to act like this, but she needed a way to find out, and since he didn't seem so willing to tell her, trapping him on a mission seemed like the best option.

'I'm sorry about this Laxus...' She thought as she smiled at him.

Laxus did agree to go with her, but he was still worried about being alone with her for too long. If he wasn't careful, he might end up attacking her.

The two walked to their destination in awkward silence as Laxus was having an all-out war with himself. 'Okay... just play it cool, focus on the mission, and don't do anything stupid. I can do that at least. I'm not like that idiot.' He thought thinking of Natsu.

Nunnally was also deep in thought as she worriedly glanced at Laxus. 'Just what is going through your head?'

In the end, however, Nunnally couldn't achieve her goal. Even after they completed the mission she just couldn't work up the courage to ask him what was going on with him. Because of this, she thought that it was futile and she should just give up. That is until...

As the two walked home, Nunnally had a strange feeling and quickly stopped in her tracks and looked up at the sky.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Laxus asked her, confused by her sudden actions.

Nunnally continued to look up at the sky as she spoke. "It's going to rain..." She trailed off with a blank face.

"What are you talking about?" Laxus looked up at the sky as well, seeing how sunny it was. "There's not a cloud in the sky." It was true. The sky was bright and blue with not a single cloud anywhere in sight. This made Laxus think that there was no possible way for it to rain.

Nunnally, though, didn't listen to him. "We should go take shelter over there." She pointed at a cave den before running to it. Laxus followed her as he tried to convince her that it wasn't going to rain, until he suddenly heard a clap of thunder. Looking outside the den, he saw that rain quickly fell hard.

"Woah... it really did rain..." He said with wide eyes before looking down at Nunnally. "How'd you know that it was going to rain?"

Nunnally looked at him a bit embarrassed as she smiled nervously. "Well I saw some oak leaves curled up." She nervously pointed at a tree just outside. "They usually do that when it's going to rain." She explained before letting out a small shy laugh. "And you know the old proverb: "Flowers smell best just before the storm.""

"Why do you look so nervous?" Laxus asked, confused by how she was acting.

"T-There's no reason..." Nunnally looked down as she smiled a bit sadly. She was actually thinking that this was her chance to finally ask him was going on with him lately, but she was really nervous to. "W-We should sit down. We might be here for a while." She said, trying to avoid what she actually wanted to say.

"Uh... yeah... "

With those words, the two we're now silently sitting on the cave floor, waiting for the storm to pass. Although silent, both we're having very similar thoughts.

'Just tell her!' Laxus glanced at Nunnally as a tint of red appeared on his face.

'Just ask him!' Nunnally similarly thought as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to work up the courage.

The two thought deeply of what they wanted to say, and then suddenly, as if with resolve in their eyes, they both looked at each other as they spoke simultaneously. "LAXUS/NUNNALLY I -"

This caused both lovers to grow silent for a few minutes as they stared at each other before Laxus suddenly spoke. "Uh... Y-You go first." He insisted, curious about what Nunnally wanted to tell him.

"A-Are you sure?" Nunnally asked, feeling incredibly nervous before Laxus nodded. Evergreen told her that she needn't worry so much about how Laxus had been acting, but she couldn't help it because she was afraid. She was afraid that Laxus might not love her anymore. This scared her to the point where she almost began to cry, but she held in her tears as she solemnly looked at him. "Laxus..." She looked at him with a sad face that caught him off guard. "Please tell me... Do you not love me anymore?"

Laxus couldn't hide his surprise as he immediately replied to reassure her. "Of course I love you!" He unintentionally yelled. "What the hell would make you think that?"

Nunnally still felt unsure as she asked her next question. "Then why have you been acting so strange lately?"

"Strange?" Laxus questioned.

Nunnally nodded. "Every time we're alone you immediately try to run away. I didn't realize this until a few days ago, but it's been like this for several weeks now. If your feelings for me haven't changed, why have you been acting this way?"

Laxus didn't know what to say. It wasn't that he didn't love her – he loved her so much. He was just worried that he would do something she didn't like, but because of this, his frustrations were now affecting their relationship. Thinking of this, Laxus slowly started to get angry—not with Nunnally but with himself. His frustrations were showing through to Nunnally as he began to clench his hand and noticeably shake in anger. 'Damn it! Damn it... Why is this happening?' Was all he thought as tried to figure out what to do.

"L-Laxus?" Nunnally called his name a bit frightened.

"Nunnally..." Laxus suddenly said as he regained his composure. "There's something I want to ask you. We've been going out for about a year now, right?" He began as Nunnally nodded, unsure as to what he was getting at. "Haven't you ever thought about us doing it?" He looked at her seeming upset.

"D-Doing what?" Nunnally feigned innocence as she started to feel embarrassed.

Laxus got even more frustrated at this and suddenly grabbed Nunnally's hand as he looked her straight in the eyes. "NUNNALLY I'M TALKING ABOUT SEX! I'm saying that I want to have sex with you!"

His words made Nunnally tremble a bit. She didn't know what to say. She simply looked at him with wide eyes and a completely red face, but there was one thing Nunnally did know about his declaration. She didn't want to resist…

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I hope you all liked this chapter because I will admit it was difficult to write. I've never written anything like this. I had to do a lot of prep work and research just to write the lead up (just imagine how hard it'll be for me to write the actual thing). That is why I took so long writing this chapter (sorry guys), but it wasn't really the chapter itself that took long (takes me two days tops without any interruptions). I have to be mentally prepared to write this and this kind of thing is difficult for a lot of writers, but I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone. It just so happened that these two late bloomers (I know XD) were at a perfect point in their relationship for me to do that.**

 **Now that you've read this chapter I hope you all liked it and please post comments of your thoughts on this. It was a bit embarrassing on my part, but I did try hard guys. On a side note: I FINALLY GOT MORE THAN 100 FAVORITES! Whoo! That is truly cause for celebrations. Thank you so much for reading and liking. You guys are the best. (BTW the next chapter is rated M, so please do be mature about it if you want to read it)**

 **See you next time!**


	18. Chapter 18: Contact

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 18: Contact**

* * *

"Nunnally..." Laxus suddenly said as he regained his composure. "There's something I want to ask you. We've been going out for about a year now, right?" He began as Nunnally nodded, unsure as to what he was getting at. "Haven't you ever thought about us doing it?" He looked at her seeming upset.

"D-Doing what?" Nunnally feigned innocence as she started to feel embarrassed.

Laxus got even more frustrated at this and suddenly grabbed Nunnally's hand as he looked her straight in the eyes. "NUNNALLY I'M TALKING ABOUT SEX! I'm saying that I want to have sex with you!"

His words made Nunnally tremble a bit. She didn't know what to say. She simply looked at him with wide eyes and a completely red face, but there was one thing Nunnally did know about his declaration—she didn't want to resist...

Seeing Nunnally tense up, Laxus glared at her—not in anger but in nervous frustration. But what else did he expect. Suddenly declaring that he wanted to have sex with Nunnally, and in a cave no less, wasn't going to earn him any suave points. (How primal...)

As if Laxus realized what he was doing, he suddenly let go of his girlfriend in disappointment. "S-Sorry... You can forget what I said." He slowly backed off before sitting as he previously did and looked on at the pouring rain with a blank face. His actions made Laxus feel like such an idiot. 'What the hell am I doing...?' Was all he could think as Nunnally looked at him, wanting to desperately say something.

As she did this, Nunnally had her hand at her chest as it trembled a bit. Her mouth slowly began to move, but no words came out. It pained her to see that Laxus had been so worried about this. It also shamed her so much. She was ashamed for even thinking that Laxus didn't love her when it was obvious now that he did.

"I..." Nunnally finally spoke before hesitating. The long pause followed that one word felt like agony to her. She wasn't sure what she could say that would make Laxus feel better, but she was certain of one thing. "I... don't want to forget..."

Those few words caused Laxus to turn his head to her before the look on her face startled him. Nunnally's face looked as if she were desperately pleading. "I don't want to forget..." She hoarsely repeated with small tears forming in her eyes once more. "So please don't ask me to."

Nunnally's words were from the bottom of her heart. Sure she was startled by Laxus' sudden declaration—what girl wouldn't be—but she didn't hate it. She loved Laxus so much that of course having sex with him did cross her mind, but because she always felt embarrassed whenever she thought of it, she always pushed away those dirty thoughts.

"Please..." She repeat once again as she looked him dead straight in the eyes.

Although having the resolve of holding back, Laxus quickly threw away every rational thought before immediately pulling her into a passionate kiss.

This took Nunnally off guard as her eyes widened by Laxus' sudden embrace. She couldn't help but feel surprised, but as Laxus deepened the hold, Nunnally lost all her inhibitions and she returned her lover's kiss.

Although she was elated by her boyfriend's actions, Laxus' forcefulness made Nunnally desperate for oxygen causing her to attempt to break his hold on her before Laxus pulled her back in for more. They continued on like this for several minutes before Nunnally finally pulled away in an attempt to catch her breath.

"I-I sorry..." She breathed. "J-Just let me... please let me catch... my breath.

Laxus, however, ignored Nunnally's request as he pulled her back in and began to fondle her behind.

This, oddly enough, turned Nunnally on. Laxus had never touched her in such a manner before, but despite the odd feelings she had, Nunnally liked this. This, however, was not enough for her.

As the two sat making out, Nunnally couldn't help but pull away again although not for air this time. This time she slowly stood up and breathed heavily as she looked down at Laxus.

This startled Laxus as he began to worry if he went too far, but then his eyes went wide as he saw Nunnally begin to strip.

Nunnally's clothes had always been the type that was difficult to put on. This meant that taking them off wasn't going to an easy task. Velvet, wine colored ribbon around the collar, buttoned, white blouse, wine colored, high waisted, pleated skirt—not to mention her laced, brown, long boots and white stockings—none of which was going to be easy for Laxus to take off, so Nunnally decided it was best to save him the trouble and do it herself.

Laxus certainly enjoyed a show as he watched his girlfriend slowly pull her collar ribbon from its knot with a heavy blush. The combination of stripping and embarrassment from Nunnally turned him on.

The next thing to go was Nunnally's skirt after she skillfully and seductively (totally unintentional on her part btw) slipped off her suspenders, completely exposing her panties and stockings (leave a shout out if you get this reference). All that was left now was her blouse, underwear, and boots which for a bodacious girl like Nunnally was too much allure for Laxus.

Nunnally still had quite a bit of clothing to remove, the hardest thing being her boots, but Laxus couldn't wait any longer. He quickly stood up and lifted Nunnally up so that she had no choice but to hold on to him with a koala hug.

"L-Laxus..." Nunnally nervously began with embarrassment on her face. "I still haven't taken off my boots..."

"Sorry but I can't wait anymore." Laxus quickly breathed with a smile before kissing Nunnally once more and gently bringing her down to the ground.

While she laid on her back, Laxus hovered atop her as he simultaneously kissed and unbuttoned her blouse, leaving Nunnally's white lace bra and chest exposed.

Laxus couldn't help but ravish her as he completely removed her blouse and worked on unhooking her bra. Nunnally still had her panties as well as boots and stockings on but that didn't last long considering how excited Laxus was. Now that she was completely naked, Laxus stopped everything he was doing and simply looked down at her naked form in awe.

"W-What's wrong?" Nunnally asked with a shy, embarrassed expression as she began to use her arms to hide her breasts and crotch.

Laxus shook his head as a blush formed on his face. "Man..." He began with genuine disbelief. "You've always been cute, but like this... you're hot."

Nunnally's face turned completely red when he said this, but even redder when she saw Laxus begin to strip as well. He quickly unbuttoned his shirt and took it off before unbuckling his pants. The sight of Laxus' buff and firm chest muscles made Nunnally so embarrassed that she somehow felt the need to use her hands to cover her blushing face but couldn't help but take a peek, looking through her fingers.

Just as Nunnally was getting aroused, a thought struck her that she needed to tell Laxus about. "U-Um... L-Laxus?" She sheepishly asked with her hands still covering her face.

"Yeah?" He smiled with a heavy breath as he moved Nunnally's hands out of the way and began to suck on her neck.

This caused her to accidentally let out a moan before she continued her question. "D-Do you... D-Do you have anything to... you know?" Nunnally implied protection but was too shy to ask her question.

Thankfully for her, Laxus didn't need too much elaboration as he stopped for a moment to pull something out of his back pocket. "I always make sure to carry one when I'm with you." He simply stated with a bit of embarrassment in his face.

Laxus was never really interested in girls or dating that much when he was a teenager. In fact, he found girls kind of annoying and didn't bother with them at all, but that all changed when he started to like Nunnally. This meant that Laxus never really had sex before, but that didn't mean he wasn't pleasuring himself to relief some stress and much of the turn ons Nunnally gave him the past two years.

Now that Nunnally was reassured about her worries, Laxus went straight back into action. He left a trail of kisses down Nunnally's neck until he reached her breasts where he then used his mouth to fondle one and his hand the other. This kind of stimulation made Nunnally moan a little louder until Laxus accidentally bit her bosom from the excitement, causing her to yelp in pain.

Laxus instinctively stopped what he was doing and apologized. "S-Sorry!"

Nunnally, still wincing from the pain, smiled a bit at him. "I-I'm fine..." She shyly blushed. "It doesn't hurt, but please be gentler."

Laxus nodded before he gently licked the breast he bit and continued to fondle Nunnally which eventually earned him more moans. The rain, however, couldn't carry the sound past the past the cave entrance, but the hollowness of their location made every sound they made, including Nunnally's cries of pleasure, resonate louder into Laxus' ears.

Because he wanted to hear more of Nunnally, Laxus used his free hand to stimulate her even more by rubbing the most sensitive part of her body. The moment he began rubbing, Nunnally's eyes went wide as she gasped in pleasure.

"L-Laxus..." She accidentally moaned his name as she tried to tell him he was being too rough. Nunnally's mind, however, went blank from the stimulation and she forgot what she wanted to say. "Laxus..." She moaned a little louder.

It was easy for Nunnally to turn Laxus on and the way she called his name only made him want her more. So much so that all he could think of now was entering her.

With this desire in mind Laxus immediately stopped fondling his beloved and gave her a long, deep kiss on the mouth which Nunnally was happy to return before he readied himself to enter her. He then quickly pulled down his pants and underwear and prepared.

Nunnally who came back to her senses from being ravished by her boyfriend sat back up a bit and saw what Laxus was doing causing her to get nervous. She saw how big and hard he was and couldn't help but feel conflicted. On one hand she was impressed by his size (of course she had nothing to compare it with, so she wasn't too sure if he was actually big or not) and this turned her on just thinking about it, but on the other hand... "Will it fit?" She subconsciously said aloud which caused her to place both her hand on her mouth in embarrassment.

This startled Laxus a bit as he just finished getting ready. There was a slight blush on his face as he wondered if she was complimenting him or not. "Sorry, but I can't wait any more..." He apologized with a stern look of embarrassment before he had Nunnally lie back down and spread her legs open.

Almost without any warning, Laxus began to enter Nunnally which caused her to let out a slight squeal of surprise. The sensation of Laxus, of anything, sliding inside her felt strange and foreign. It didn't hurt like she originally thought it would, but it wasn't the most pleasurable feeling, and it didn't help that it was taking, what almost felt like, forever to her.

However, as Laxus penetrated Nunnally it felt amazing to him. The sensation was nothing like when he was by himself. The best words Laxus could use to describe it would be 'snug and cozy.' He wanted to go in faster out of mere impatience but was worried about it being painful for Nunnally, so when he got a glimpse of her face, Laxus was surprised. "D-Does it hurt?" He asked her unsure. The expression on Nunnally's face wasn't of pain at all nor was it of pleasure. It was more... indecisive.

"Um... no?" Nunnally replied with uncertainty herself. "It doesn't hurt..." She said as she tried to figure the word to describe the feeling. 'Slimy?' She thought before realizing that was the worst thing she could tell him. This thought, though, did not last long after Laxus **completely** entered her.

When Laxus slid into her as much as he could, he smiled to himself for a minute before he leaned in towards Nunnally and placed his forehead against hers. "Do you feel it, Nunnally?" He breathed with a smile. "I'm inside you."

If Laxus hadn't said anything, the realization wouldn't have hit her.

'Laxus is inside me...' She thought as her face went completely red—much redder than it had ever had before. This excited and turned her on. It wasn't the feeling of him inside her that aroused Nunnally but the thought of it that made her heart beat faster. It was like Laxus confessed to her all over again, so it was no wonder Nunnally couldn't think straight.

Just as she was trying to sort out everything in her head, Laxus slid out of her a bit and thrust back in with a slight grunt which caused Nunnally to gasp for a moment. 'That felt good...' She embarrassedly thought. This feeling only intensified as Laxus continued to thrust in and out. It was a lot different from being fondled, but Nunnally still enjoyed it.

"Laxus... please do it harder..." She suddenly asked him in an erotic voice. It was kind of shocking for Laxus to hear Nunnally sound like this, but he did not shy away and even complied with her request.

They continued on like this for almost 10 minutes. Grunts and moans of pleasure could be heard all throughout the cave. Overall, it was a pleasurable experience for the two despite it being their first time.

Nunnally hadn't had enough of Laxus and could still go on for a bit longer, but just she was about to ask for more, something suddenly felt warm inside her. Her eyes that had been closed to feel more of the sensations of Laxus' thrusts quickly opened to look over at her boyfriend.

It seemed that Laxus had already reached his climax and was enjoying the last few of blissful warmth inside Nunnally before growing completely weary. 'This feels so good, but why the hell am I so tired?' Laxus thought. He couldn't go on anymore and had no choice but to pull out which created quite the reaction from Nunnally.

"Laxus?!" Nunnally worriedly exclaimed as she witnessed her lover collapse from exhaustion beside her naked body. Just as she sat up and checked on Laxus' condition, she saw that he was snoring, peacefully asleep. "He must have been so worried about this." She whispered to herself as she realized how stressed out Laxus had been the past few days. With him just having sex and the stress he recently felt about their relationship, it was no wonder he collapsed, but seeing him fall asleep like a child, Nunnally couldn't help but gently smile down at him before she lightly pecked his cheek and snuggled up beside him. All that she could hear was Laxus' soft snores and the sound of pouring rain before sleep quickly overtook her as well.

 **_Extended Ending_**

When Nunnally awoke, she saw that the rain had passed and that Laxus was still sound asleep. Waking up next to the man she loved, made Nunnally so happy that she subconsciously smiled before she sneezed and shivered a bit. 'I'm still naked!' She thought, flustered before she quietly stood up and gathered all her clothes to dress herself.

Just as Nunnally finished dressing, she glanced over at Laxus' sleeping body and gave a surprised blush. She then looked around embarrassed as if trying to see if anyone was watching. Laxus' **thing** was still out and Nunnally couldn't help but take Laxus' shirt to cover **him** up. "We'll... talk about this later." She said referring to this new milestone in their relationship as she awkwardly and briefly patted his leg and **trying** to look elsewhere.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 ** _In the Next Arc..._**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I'm so sorry that this chapter came out so late! Things in my life have been so hectic lately that it was difficult to find time to write, so I hope that chapter does not disappoint and makes up for my lateness. I know that this might be a bit different than what you'd usually find on online, but please bear with it.**

 **And one more thing. I would just like to dedicate the PUBLICATION of this chapter to a good friend of mine since it is her birthday today (I'll just refer to her as Kitty). I'm not dedicating THIS chapter to her since it would be kind of weird (considering the contents), but I tried to get it published by today, so good job me and Happy Birthday, Kitty.**

 **Please leave comments on what you thought of this chapter and heart if you liked it. Thanks for reading and sticking around this long. It really means a lot.**

 **See you next time!**


	19. Chapter 19: Bickslow

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 19: Bickslow**

* * *

A few weeks passed since Nunnally and Laxus first had sex and since then, like rabbits, they've been at it. Nunnally had grown used to spending long passionate nights in Laxus' home, and Laxus was no longer hesitant to show his desire for her. Yes, after one full year of dating, these two were finally at a healthy and stable stage in their relationship. No more hesitation, no more secrets. WelI, almost no secrets.

While Laxus may have been an open book with his girlfriend, Nunnally still had a few key things from her past that she wasn't ready to share—not with Laxus, not with anyone. There was still a heavy weight in her chest that prevented her from doing so, but there were many times where Nunnally thought of telling Laxus about the incident from ten years ago. After all, Laxus was the person she trusted more than anyone else in the world, however, telling him was easier said than done because it's no easy feat to share your deepest, darkest secret with someone—not even your best friend.

Despite this one secret on Nunnally's part, things were going great for the two. It was now May of the year X782, and on this particular spring day, Nunnally sat atop Laxus as he sat his back against the headboard. The two had spent yet another lust filled night together the night before and were now lustfully kissing each other atop Laxus' bed in the early hours of the morning. That is until their passionate morning make out session was rudely interrupted by the doorbell.

The sudden sound startled Nunnally, causing her to fall out of bed with a small yelp. Meanwhile, Laxus cursed a little under his breathe by the disturbance before Nunnally sat back up on her knees and grabbed the edge of the bed for support.

"W-Who could it be this early in the morning?" Nunnally asked, slightly peeved as well but kept her usual cool.

"I don't know, but I'll check. Y-You just stay here." He said slightly flustered before putting on his pants and leaving Nunnally, whom had only been wearing his shirt, alone in his room.

As soon as Laxus reached his front door, he tiredly opened it to reveal Freed and Evergreen. "Yeah?" He answered with a noticeably irritated face.

"Did you just wake up?!" Evergreen crossed her arms upset as she saw that Laxus was shirtless.

Laxus sighed seeing as how it was just them before leaning on the door frame a bit. "Yeah, you can say that. Now what do you want? It's eight in the morning."

"I apologize for disturbing your sleep Laxus, but please don't tell me that you've forgotten." Freed asked with a slightly troubled expression.

"Huh?" There was a look of confusion on Laxus' face as he answered them. "What are you talking about?"

"See, he did forget." Evergreen looked at Freed before looking back up at Laxus. "Did you really forget that we have a mission?"

Having forgotten all about the request he said he would go on with the Thunder God Tribe, Laxus blushed a bit in embarrassment. Not only did he completely forget, he just remembered that Nunnally was practically naked in the other room. 'Crap, I can't let them find her like this.' "S-Sorry... I forgot all about it." He said glancing at the door to the bedroom with a bit of sweat trickling down his face from worry.

"And that's exactly why I told you to remind him yesterday, Freed." Evergreen looked at him.

Freed couldn't help but sigh at his own carelessness. "I apologize, but I was certain that he wouldn't forget."

Just as Laxus was about to tell them he would meet up with them later, he noticed Bickslow's absence. "Wait, where's Bickslow? Wasn't he the one who picked this stupid job in the first place?"

Evergreen crossed her arms again at the thought. "He's not coming. That idiot went and got himself a cold."

"Yes, it's a shame he can't join us." Freed said ignoring Evergreen's added in insult. "But we've already signed for this job, so, with or without him, we must go."

"Well, alright." Laxus closed his eyes in frustration for a moment as he sighed. "Meet me in South Gate Park in an hour. It... might take me awhile to get ready."

There was a bit of a pause in that sentence which made Evergreen a bit suspicious, but understanding, both her and Freed left and headed for South Gate Park as Laxus closed the front door and headed back to the bedroom.

"Was that Evergreen and the others?" Nunnally sat on the edge of the bed, still only wearing his shirt. With her close friendship with Evergreen, she was now able to recognize her voice a mile away.

"Mostly... Seems we have a job, but that idiot, Bickslow, caught a cold, so it looks like it'll just be three of us." He answered her as he headed towards his dresser.

Laxus hadn't mentioned that he would be going anywhere earlier, so it made Nunnally curious as to what he would be doing. With this in mind, she suddenly realized that Laxus never really talked about the jobs he goes on by himself, so as she watched him rummage through his clothes, Nunnally couldn't' help but ask where he was going.

"Where?" Laxus repeated her question, finally getting out some clean clothes and turning to her. "I just have to guard some nobleman a few towns over. I'm pretty sure it was some place called Lobelia Town."

Nunnally's eyes went wide for moment as she suddenly felt sick to her stomach. "W-Where?" She nervously asked him again for confirmation.

"Lobelia Town." He looked at her a bit worried.

"Ah... Lobelia Town... It was Lobelia..." Nunnally felt a bit relieved. When she heard him say the name Lobelia, Nunnally misheard him and her mind immediately thought of a different name—Abelia, her dear elder sister.

"Hey, are you are alright? You looked sick for a moment there. Don't tell me you're getting a cold too?" Laxus asked her as he put his hand on her forehead to make sure she didn't have a fever.

She nodded. "I'm fine. I suppose I was just a bit worried."

Laxus smiled at her. "Don't be. I'll only be gone for a couple of weeks." He reassured her before pulling her into his arms with a slight smirk. "And when I come back, we can continue where we left off."

Nunnally's face went red as she sheepishly smiled. "I look forward to it."

As Laxus continued to smirk at Nunnally, he glanced at the clock behind her. "Shit! If I don't shower now, I won't have time to pack."

"If you want, I can ready a bag for you while you take a shower." Nunnally suggested with a calm face. There was no sign of hesitation in that sentence. It was as if she was no longer shy about doing this sort of thing, and it now seemed that Nunnally was finally 100% comfortable with Laxus.

Laxus looked at her stunned for a moment before smiling. "And that's why I love you." He said as he remembered all the times she helped him out when he was in a pinch before leaning down to peck her lips. "Thanks"

Nunnally simply nodded as she went to prepare a duffle bag, and Laxus went to the bathroom. About thirty minutes later, Laxus came out of bathroom well-groomed and dressed as Nunnally handed him his bag. Unlike two years ago, Laxus was no longer the bratty teenager he was; he was a man now. He no longer wore those old and dated long, sleeved t-shirts and baggy pants. Dress shirts and blacks slacks were more his style now. Perhaps his way of thinking was that a classy lady like Nunnally deserved to have classy guy. Perhaps that's what it was.

"Thanks" He said as threw the sack over his shoulder before heading to the front door. "You can use the apartment while I'm gone. Just make sure to lock up whenever you leave."

Nunnally nodded and smiled at him. "Take care!" She waved as she watched him move farther and farther away until he as no longer in sight. Once that happened, Nunnally lowered her hand and stopped smiling before absentmindedly looking at the clock on the wall. "Perhaps I'll clean..." Even though she said this, her mind was entirely filled with thoughts of Laxus. She was used to having Laxus gone for weeks on end, but she still prayed for him to return safely. Nunnally couldn't help doing that. No matter how strong they are, when it's the person you love, you just can't help but worry. "Please come home safe..."

For the rest of the morning, Nunnally cleaned every nook and cranny of Laxus' home. By the time it was 1:00 pm, Nunnally was finished cleaning and laid on the floor completely and utterly bored. "I watered all my plants yesterday..." She muttered to herself as she tried to think of something to do. "Perhaps I'll just put on some tea." Nunnally decided as she sat up before remembering something. "Now that I think about it... Laxus said that Bickslow came down with a cold." She looked up at the clock. "Perhaps I'll pay him a visit him instead." With that decision in mind, Nunnally stood up and prepared to leave the house before heading to the market for something that would help treat a cold.

Not much later, Nunnally arrived in front of Bickslow's home and looked around at the exterior. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen Bickslow's home before..." She thought aloud as she glanced at some bare patches of dirt. "So this is the kind of place he lives in." Nunnally was right. She had never been to Bickslow's home. She frequently stayed at Laxus' place every other day, and Evergreen often invited her into her dorm room. She even shared a cup a tea with Freed at his home from time to time, but Nunnally never once visited Bickslow.

His home was about the size of a small cottage and was located in an unfamiliar part of Magnolia for Nunnally. It wasn't dangerous or anything, but since Nunnally never had any business in that part of Magnolia, she never had any reason to go there.

After she approached his front door, Nunnally rang the doorbell. She heard the small buzz it made before hearing a few things being knocked over inside as if someone were struggling to get to the door. "Hello...?" Bickslow wearily answered with a slight nasally congestion as he opened the door before straightening up at the sight of Nunnally. "M-Miss Nunnally! What are you doing here?" He seemed both confused and flustered by her presence. She never came to his house before, so he wasn't sure what to do.

Nunnally was taken aback a bit by Bickslow's strange behavior, but told him the reason for her visit. "W-Well, I was told that you came down with a cold. Since Laxus are others will be gone for quite some time, I thought I would help you recuperate."

Suddenly, Bickslow hung his head in disappointment. "Don't remind me..." He trailed off sadly.

'I suppose he really wanted to go with them.' Nunnally thought as she tried to cheer him up. "Perhaps you should get back to bed. If you're hungry, I can prepare something."

"Y-You really don't have to do that!" Bickslow tried to tell her as she tried to push him back inside to get him back into bed.

"Nonsense" Nunnally said as she struggled to push him. "If you don't eat correctly and get plenty of rest, you won't be able to recover quickly.

Not much later, Bickslow sat in bed, embarrassed with a thermometer in his mouth. After a few minutes, Nunnally took the device from him and read it. "You seem to a slight temperature, but it's nothing serious." She calmly smiled as she usually did. "You should still get some rest either way, but before that, have you taken any medicine or eaten at all today?"

Bickslow shook his head in response.

There was a slightly worried look on Nunnally's face which made Bickslow blush a bit. "Well that won't do. You haven't eaten anything all day and you can't take any medicine without some food in you." She said before thinking of the solution. "I only brought you some fruit and tea as a get well gift, but I'll run back to the market for ingredients. How does rice porridge sound?" She smiled before seeing a slightly disgusted face on Bickslow. "Or would you prefer some soup?"

At the word **soup** Bickslow perked up a bit, but not wanting to seem eager, however, he tried to seem calm. "I'm fine with anything. Everything you make tastes good anyways, Miss Nunnally."

Nunnally stared at him with a blank face for a moment before smiling again. "Well then perhaps I'll make some soup. Do you like chicken?" By the look of Bickslow's face, it was easy to tell that he was happy. She noticed that he was not a fan of rice porridge but, instead, liked something tastier. Thinking this, Nunnally prepared to head out again, but before she left, she turned back towards Bickslow. "You should get some rest in the meantime. It may take a while for me to collect everything and prepare it." With those parting words, Nunnally left Bickslow alone.

"Miss Nunnally sure is nice. She's always looking after all of us, but..." Bickslow seemed a bit upset as he looked around his room. "Why'd she have to come when it's like this?" He held his head and shook it in frustration. It turned out that Bickslow, the liveliest of the Thunder God Tribe, was a bit of a messy bessy. He wasn't dirty, but his home sure was cluttered. There were clothes, paper, and a lot of other things lying around that did not help with the décor, but Nunnally didn't seem to mind it as she was polite as always and more preoccupied with helping Bickslow than the state of his home."

Soon enough, though, Bickslow let out a loud yawn as he began to lay back down in bed before sleep completely overtook him. By the time he woke up again, the sun was setting.

"Did you sleep well?" Nunnally suddenly asked as she sat peeling an apple in a chair beside his bed.

Bickslow sat up and yawned as he answered. "Yeah... How long was I asleep?" Bickslow still had a lot of congestion in his nose and couldn't say anything without sounding strange, but he was too weary to notice. What he had noticed, however, was his room as his eyes went wide. "W-What happened?"

Nunnally smiled with embarrassment before answering him. "I must apologize. You were sleeping so well, and I had already finished making your meal, so I took the liberty of cleaning and airing out your home. I thought that getting rid of all the dust would make it easier for you to breathe. Perhaps it was too much."

"N-No, I like it." He interjected. "But man..." He looked around with a smile, impressed by Nunnally's work and the clutter-less room. "I've never seen this place so clean. You really have a knack for this sort of thing, Miss Nunnally."

"You flatter me." Nunnally smiled again in embarrassment before she returned to normal. "But enough about that, you must be hungry. I've already prepared your meal, so I'll just bring it in right in." She said with a calm face.

Sure enough, Bickslow was starving. Sleeping all day with no food whatsoever made him quite famished. So much so that he practically drank the soup Nunnally made as if it were water. "Man, that was good!" Bickslow smiled like usual as he patted his stomach to indicate that he was full.

"I'm glad to see you doing much better." Nunnally giggled at Bickslow's enthusiasm. "But I should take my leave now. I've intruded on you long enough." She said as she gathered her things and prepared to head back to Laxus' home.

"Don't worry, Miss Nunnally!" Bickslow said in a cheerful tone. "You're always welcome here!"

Just as Nunnally was about to go through the door, she stopped and looked at Bickslow. "In that case, I'll make sure to check up on you tomorrow. Make sure to get plenty of rest and take the medicine I brought you. You seem better now, but remember that you're still sick, so please don't overdo it."

Bickslow nodded happily at that as he watched Nunnally leave. This however made him a bit sad because, in truth, Bickslow had a small crush on Nunnally, but because of how Laxus and Nunnally loved each other, he couldn't say anything. He just couldn't do that to Laxus—not to the person whom he considered his best friend, his best buddy.

The following day, Nunnally returned as promised and a few days later Bickslow was finally healthy again. However...

"Hey, what's up with Bickslow?" Natsu walked up to Nunnally in the guild hall as he saw Bickslow lay his head, depressed, on one of the tables.

"Oh, it's you, Natsu." Nunnally smiled before she looked back at Bickslow with worry. "It seems that he was looking forward to going on a mission with Freed and the others, but because he caught a cold, they had to leave without him."

"Wait, that's it?!" Natsu seemed confused.

"If he's depressed, I know what'll cheer him up!" Happy, whom was always with Natsu, chimed in. "A great big fish!" He said enthusiastically.

"Are you kidding me?!" Natsu began to argue. "What's a fish going to do? What he needs is a battle with me!" He said with equal enthusiasm.

"A fish would do just the same!" Happy argued back.

"Haven't you ever heard of fighting spirit?! A good ol' fashioned fight will definitely do the trick!"

Nunnally smiled with a nervous face, unsure of Natsu's **solution**. "Um N-Natsu, since Bickslow just recovered from a cold perhaps a battle would be too much for him."

"Seriously?" Natsu looked at her in disappointment. "Man and just when I was in the mood for a match Looks like I'll just have to find someone else!" He said before looking around for someone else to fight before quickly looking back at Nunnally. "But if Bickslow is in the mood for a good fight, just tell me! I'll show him the real power of a Dragon Slayer!" He smiled before running off. "C'mon, Happy!"

"Aye!" Happy answered with the intention of following him, but turned to Nunnally to say something. "That reminds me. You should come fishing with us sometime, Nunnally! You'll definitely appreciate it more than Natsu."

Nunnally nodded. "Perhaps sometime soon. I'll enjoy that." She said in agreement before hearing a big fight break out between Natsu and Gray.

"Well it looks like that those two dummies are at it again. That means I should get going too." Happy smiled as he flew away.

Nunnally waved to him in farewell before looking back at Bickslow with worry. 'He seems quite sad about being left behind.' She thought before turning her head to the request board. 'Perhaps going on a job will cheer him up...' Bickslow had been sad for past few days, so maybe going on a mission would help keep his mind off things. At least that was Nunnally's way of thinking. Laxus and the others wouldn't be back for about another week, so if Nunnally didn't do something to cheer Bickslow up, he'd be moping the whole time. "Well it's worth a shot."

After Nunnally picked out a job she thought was suitable, she walked over to Bickslow with the request flyer in hand.

"Um Bickslow? I know that you've been feeling down ever since others left, but would you like to go on job with me to help clear your mind?" Nunnally asked him, in hopes that he would agree.

Hearing this, Bickslow, whose head still laid on the table, suddenly perked up. "A job?" He asked as he looked up at her. "J-Just the two of us?"

Nunnally nodded as she smiled. "We would just be putting on a magic show for a few children in Hargeon, but I thought that doing something like this would cheer you up. It's fine if you don't want to, though."

"No, it's sound like fun." Bickslow looked happy as his dolls repeated his sentence.

"In that case, I'll go inform the Master." Nunnally said with a relieved expression. "We can head out first thing tomorrow morning."

Bickslow smiled as he nodded. He was excited about not only being able to go on a mission with someone but also because it was a mission with Nunnally. He knew that he couldn't tell her how he felt, but just being with her was good enough for him.

The next morning, both Nunnally and Bickslow headed over to the Town of Hargeon by train. It was only an hour ride, so they were able to reach it fairly quickly and head over to the school where the magic show was to be put on. It seemed that the wizards that were originally going to be in it had to cancel last minute, so they contacted to nearest wizards' guild, Fairy Tail, to send some over.

Now, the two spent the entire morning and afternoon entertaining the kids much to Nunnally's dismay. Nunnally loved kids, but their many requests were overwhelming for her. Bickslow, on the other hand, seemed right at home. He and his dolls were happy to entertain the kids and his smile showed that.

'He seems to be doing a lot better. I'm glad he's happy, but...' She thought as she looked like she was about to cry. "No! Please get off of that! It's dangerous!" Nunnally yelled to a boy who had decided to use one of her giant plants as a slide. '...BUT I'M NOT!' She finished her thought as she kept trying to persuade the boy down.

At around three in the afternoon, the two completed the request and accepted their payment. Bickslow noticed Nunnally struggles with the children and decided to use some of his reward to treat her to a late lunch as thanks for taking care of him when he was sick and for trying to cheer him up. Nunnally initially refused his offer, but eventually accepted as he insisted.

"Trust me, Miss Nunnally, you'll definitely like this place!" He enthusiastically said as he walked ahead of her in his excitement.

"Um Bickslow? Perhaps you should calm down." Nunnally gestured for him to lower his voice. "A lot of people are staring." She whispered as she nervously looked around at the people who had their attention on the only man yelling in the middle of the street.

"Woops, sorry..." He apologized as he grew noticeably embarrassed.

Nunnally simply laughed at this. "It's fine. Just please be mindful of your surroundings..." Nunnally trailed off as she stopped dead in her tracks with her eyes locked on a certain man.

"Huh?" Bickslow stopped as well, looking at her. "Why'd you stop?"

Nunnally didn't listen to his words as she stood paralyzed in fear. "W-Why is **he** here?" She whispered to herself, looking as if she were about to have a panic attack.

Bickslow looked really worried. He had no idea what she was talking about, and just as he was about to ask who she was referring to, Nunnally quickly looked up at him.

"B-Bickslow, perhaps we should head back to the guild instead. I… I don't think having lunch today is a good idea."

"But why?" Bickslow asked in a state of confusion. "You seemed like you wanted to go just a minute ago."

Just as Nunnally was about to say something, a man's voice called out to her. "Well, well… It's been awhile hasn't it, Miss Nunnally?"

Hearing this voice, Nunnally's head slowly turned its owner with a look of fear in her eyes. "Jericho..." She timidly said as she tried to avoid eye contact. "W-What are you doing here?"

Before Nunnally's eyes was Jericho. The same man who almost killed her just a few months prior. He was doing some illegal trading and set up an underground gem market which imported cheap and low quality gems from neighboring countries and sold them off for a high profit. Because of this and his cruel tendencies, Nunnally thought he was a despicable man even now.

"Is that really how you should be greeting me?" He smirked at her before leaning in to whisper something in her ear. "Especially after the time we shared together?"

As soon as he said this, Nunnally backed away from him and hid behind Bickslow as she subconsciously grabbed his sleeve in fright.

"What's this? You have a boyfriend? Now, that's too bad." He sighed, feigning disappointment before smiling deviously. "And to think that I wanted to have some more fun with you."

Bickslow, seeing how frightened Nunnally was and the way Jericho talked, snapped at him angrily. "Hey, who the hell are you?! What do you want with Miss Nunnally?!"

Jericho ignored Bickslow as he let out a brief chuckle. "And I see that you didn't break our deal, Nunnally. That's good…" He said before his voice lowered to an erotic level. "You know... I like obedient girls."

Irritated, Bickslow yelled at him again. "Hey, I'm talking to you?! I said what do you want?!"

As Bickslow yelled at him, Jericho suddenly had an irritated face. "Mongrels like you should stay silent." He glared at Bickslow with a serious expression. "So like a good dog, stay quiet before I put you down." His words left Bickslow speechless causing Jericho to smirk and turn his attention back to Nunnally. "Now where were w-"

"W-What are you doing here, Jericho?" Nunnally interrupted him with a brave face but a shaking body.

"Getting straight to the point, I see. That's something else that I like in a woman. Keep this up and you'll really become my ideal girl." He smiled at her before glancing at the port that was in view. "And as to why I'm here? Well, let's just say that I have some **business** going down tonight. I'm sure you understand."

Seeing that Nunnally was going to say something about his **business** , Jericho held up his hand to silence her. "Uh-uh. Now it'd be best if you didn't say anything you might regret. I have no business with you today anyways, and as for your boyfriend..." Jericho glared at Bickslow once more. "You should learn to stay silent when those above you are talking." He said referring to his status. "Well, until we meet again, Nunnally Wallace." Jericho coolly smiled at Nunnally before turning to leave with a parting wave as he walked.

This brief encounter with Jericho left Nunnally in a state of shock. He was someone Nunnally feared after all.

In the end, Bickslow wasn't able to treat Nunnally to a meal like he wanted, and, instead, the two headed back to Magnolia. On the train ride over, Nunnally reluctantly told him everything that happened with Jericho, seeing as how Bickslow already met him and that he wouldn't just let it go without an explanation.

"So you haven't even told Laxus?" Bickslow solemnly asked her—something that was usual for him.

Nunnally nodded with a sad expression. "After what he did to me, I knew he was serious. If I hadn't agreed to his terms, he would have surely killed me, so that's why..." Nunnally struggled to look at Bickslow in the eye but found that courage. "Please bury this secret with you." The look on her face emphasized how serious she was. There was not even a hint of hesitation. "Do not breathe a word of it to anyone—not a soul, and especially not Laxus."

"But shouldn't you at least tell him?" Bickslow asked worriedly. "You two are going out..." Saying those words stung him a bit, but he needed to say them.

"No" Nunnally answered. "If he should learn of this incident, I'm afraid of how he would react. He would not let it go so easily and will surely seek revenge." She said as a few tears ran down her cheeks. "Laxus is one of the most powerful wizards I know, but how do you even face that kind of magic? If you can't even get up to fight, how do defeat them? If Jericho is anything like Nyx, he'll try to kill Laxus without hesitation. So please, Bickslow..." She looked up with him, begging. "Please don't tell him."

Bickslow looked as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself. "Alright." He reluctantly said, instead. He wasn't sure what he s **hould** say because Nunnally, the girl he likes, was begging him to keep her secret from Laxus, her boyfriend and his best friend.

"Alright..."

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I know this chapter is a bit longer than my usual ones, but, in my opinion, it's a pretty important one. And I'm really sorry all of you Bixanna fans (my deepest apologies)! Personally, I ship it too, so don't worry, I am not moving in on your territory. Bickslow's feelings in this story are completely one sided and will never come into fruition (but you gotta feel bad for him when it's put like that, though, huh?).**

 **On a side note... For the next chapter get ready for some fun in the sun, guys! We'll be hitting up the beach, so look forward to it!**

 **See you next time!**


	20. Chapter 20: Dog Days Have Come

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 20: Dog Days Have Come**

* * *

It was almost three months since Nunnally and Bickslow's encounter with Jericho. Due to this chance meeting, Nunnally was forced to reveal the incident with Jericho to Bickslow, and he promised not to say a word of it to anyone—not even Laxus. It, however, did not sit well with him that Nunnally, the girl he secretly liked, would keep quiet about being hurt from everyone—including the person she loved the most, but seeing her wholeheartedly beg, Bickslow felt that he had no choice but to give in to her request.

With the three months of silence, everything quickly returned to normal. Bickslow, who initially appeared disturbed by the incident, reverted back to his usual, lively self as did Nunnally, and Laxus... Laxus seemed completely unaware of the matter. Yes, everything was as how it should be, but now...

"UUUGGGHHH..." Natsu groaned as his head laid face down on one of the guild hall tables. "IT'S SOOOOOOOOOOO HOT."

"AAAYYYYYYYYEE..." Happy groaned as well in agreement.

The weather on this particular summer day was scorching hot. The town's streets were empty and a majority of the stores closed up shop from the lack of foot traffic. If there were ever a good day to stay inside, it would be this one. Yup, Magnolia was in for a heatwave that even Natsu couldn't handle.

While Natsu complained, Gray, who happened to be sitting across from the two practically naked, looked at the fire breathing idiot with an irritated face. "Geez, you two are pathetic."

Natsu simply groaned again, seemingly unaffected by his rival's insult. "I don't even have the energy to deal with you today."

"Now that's funny." Cana walked up to the two, drink in hand. "A moment where you two aren't fighting? How rare." She smiled before taking a swig of alcohol.

"It's not my fault this bozo here can't take the heat." Gray replied as he pointed his thumb back at Natsu.

"IT'S TOOOOOOOOO HOT..." Natsu and Happy simultaneously groaned.

"Haaaahh?" There was a look of confusion on Cana's face as finished chugging down the alcoholic beverage she held. "Aren't you supposed to be a FIRE Dragon Slayer?" She looked down at the pink-haired boy. "How is it that you can spew out 9000° (≈ 5000°C) flames, but you can't even handle a little 90° (≈ 32°C) weather?

At that moment, Natsu quickly lifted his head and in one quick breath, blurted out: "Me breathing fire and this weather are two separate things." to justify his complaining before immediately slamming it back down on the table.

"Speaking of..." Gray looked at Cana with slight worry. "It's almost like a hundred degrees out. Is it really a good idea for you to be drinking?"

Upon hearing this, Cana smirked. "What's this, Gray? You worried about me?" She teased the 16-year-old boy as she affectionately poked his cheek. Gray, obviously bothered by her teasing, tried to get away, but his efforts were to no avail as Cana wouldn't let him.

"Cana, Gray's right." Levy, who stood nearby and informed on the subject, interrupted. "You'll get heatstroke if you keep drinking in this weather."

Cana simply smiled as she shrugged them off. "You don't have to worry about me. Unlike those old geezers, I know how to handle my liquor." She reassured before realizing something. "Oh and Gray?"

"Yeah?" He answered with curious face.

"Clothes..."

As the four kept talking and Gray freaked out from his **mysteriously** missing clothing, Evergreen, who sat with Nunnally and Freed not too far away, looked at them with an annoyed expression. "Honestly, could they be any louder?" She asked.

"You shouldn't expect too much from them, Evergreen. After all... they are just children." Freed replied with slight arrogance.

"Now, now, you two." Nunnally nervously smiled as she tried to get them to settle down. "They are merely talking like everyone else here. They aren't hurting anyone."

Even after being a part of Fairy Tail for several years now, there was still a sense of hostility towards everyone from the Thunder God Tribe. They didn't really care for anyone else and only concerned themselves with Laxus and Nunnally.

Nunnally noticed this and couldn't help but worry about them. After isolating herself from the other guild members in her younger years, Nunnally knew that being distant wasn't healthy. The only reason why she was able to get closer to everyone was because of Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe. They're the ones who got her out of her shell, but now what she wished for was for the Thunder God Tribe to come out of theirs.

"You're too kind, Milady." Freed smiled at her.

Nunnally looked a bit confused when he said this but still smiled. "I don't believe it's about being kind. It's just that they haven't done anything wrong."

"I'm going to have to agree with Freed on this one, Nunnally." Evergreen looked at her with a bit of a teasing look. "You're too nice for your own good. I mean just look at you with that innocent face." She reached her hands across the table stretch Nunnally's cheeks. "Keep this up and people are going take advantage of you." Evergreen said this with a teasing yet doting tone, but despite her teasing, there was an obvious sign of concern for her friend. She was well aware that Nunnally wasn't **that** much of an easy target, but even so, Evergreen knew that someone might want to use her politeness to take advantage of her. "But I guess that pink-haired idiot was right about one thing." She suddenly let go of Nunnally and used her hand to fan herself. "It's too hot! I thought the A/C was supposed to be on."

"I believe I overheard the master say that the air cooling system broke down earlier. That may explain why everyone is so lethargic today." Freed explained.

"Are they really?" Nunnally asked as she rubbed her cheek from the pain and looked around the guild hall for confirmation. There weren't many people in the guild—probably due to the extreme heat. It was mostly the younger generation as well as a few of the older guild members.

"You two are always wearing long sleeves, so how are you guys not sweating?" Evergreen asked both Freed and Nunnally as they seemed unaffected by the heatwave.

Freed simply took a small sip of the glass of water that sat front of him before turning to his comrade. "It's simply a state of mind, Evergreen. If you do not think of the heat, it will not affect you."

"That's not really helpful you know..." Evergreen muttered before sighing. "How about we just go the beach or something? That will surely be better than just staying in this stuffy guild hall all day."

"T-The beach?" Nunnally repeated with a bit of a worried look before being interrupted by a suddenly energetic Natsu.

"WOOHOOO! THE BEACH! NOW THAT'S MORE LIKE IT! HOW ABOUT WE ALL GO?!" Natsu yelled to everyone after he overheard Evergreen's suggestion. All signs of lethargy in him quickly vanished and this sudden enthusiasm sparked a chain reaction within the entire guild.

"That's a great idea! The whole guild can go!" Someone happily yelled in reply.

"Yeah!" Another guild member agreed with excitement before someone else yelled out, followed by the rest of the guild.

"Looks like I'll have to pick out a new swimsuit!"

"How does tomorrow sound?"

With everyone joining in on the discussion, they all seemed on board with the idea. It was way too hot in the guild, so going to the beach would definitely cool everyone off. Evergreen however, did not seem so happy with this new turn of events.

"THAT WAS NOT AN OPEN INVITATION, NATSU!" She yelled back at him with an angry yet comedic expression but was ignored as everyone seemed preoccupied with the preparations for the guild's sudden beach holiday.

Seeing Evergreen huff in frustration, Freed smiled a bit as he held his glass of water near his mouth. "You certainly have a talent for getting the others worked up, Evergreen."

"SHUT UP..." She immediately replied in return while spitefully looking at Natsu. As she did this, she suddenly sighed and turned to Nunnally. "Well whatever... Like I'll let the fire breathing idiot ruin our fun." There was a bit of condescension in Evergreen's voice as she smiled.

"Evergre-" Nunnally tried to call before Evergreen interrupted her.

"So it's settled! We'll go to the beach tomorrow!"

"Um, Evergre-" Nunnally tried getting her attention again in vain.

"I'll wish you two well then." Freed interrupted before drinking some more water with no interest in their outing.

Hearing this, Evergreen couldn't help but raise a brow at her teammate. "What's this?" She smirked. "I thought you'd definitely be going considering that LAXUS is coming with us."

The moment she said that, Freed froze up for a brief second. "L-Laxus?"

"Of course." Evergreen gave him a teasing smile. "Since Nunnally is going, it's a given that Laxus will go too. You didn't think that he'd let some loser hit on her at the beach, did you?"

"About that..." Nunnally tried interrupting once more.

Freed then cleared his throat with a slight blush. "Well, since it seems that I don't have anything else planned for tomorrow, perhaps I'll join you two after all." Freed's extreme admiration for Laxus seemed to trump everything else for him. There wasn't a time where the guy would miss out on spending a day with his idol.

"Glad to know you decided to come." Evergreen grabbed his shoulder in appreciation before standing up with a smile. "Well, come on Nunnally. We need go shopping. **I'm** going to pick out your swimsuit."

"Evergre-" Nunnally tried cutting in for the final time before giving up completely.

"Trust me. I've seen your wardrobe. You and Laxus will thank me for this later." She smiled with a suggestive look.

Thinking that there was no chance that Evergreen was going to listen to a word she said, Nunnally reluctantly and tiredly agreed. "Okay..."

Right before the girls headed to a swimsuit shop, Evergreen asked Nunnally to go on without her as she decided to tell Laxus about their holiday, leaving Nunnally to fend for herself among the shameless and indecent clothes that is swimwear.

"But I've never even been to a beach..." Nunnally muttered to herself as she looked around the store before looking down with a blush. There were so many colorful and revealing pieces of clothing that it was almost too much for Nunnally to bear. Not only had she never been to a beach, she never once worn a swimsuit before in her entire life. Because of her status as a child, Nunnally was raised to be a dignified and modest girl, so it wasn't ideal for her to be in a place where showing a lot skin was practically mandatory.

"May I help you?" A kind looking saleswoman walked up to Nunnally with a courteous smile. "Is there something in particular you're looking for?"

Despite her asking, Nunnally stayed silent as she nervously tried not to look her in the eye. "Um..."

"Oh I see!" The saleswoman suddenly clapped her hands together in excitement. "This must be your first time here! How about I interest you in this brand? And you don't have to worry about the price, Miss. First timers always get a store discount!" She urged on as she held out a revealing and colorful bikini.

"N-NO THANK YOU!" Nunnally practically yelled as she quickly motioned her hands back and forth to show that she wasn't interested.

She didn't even know where to begin. There were so many different kinds of swimwear in so many different patterns for girls that it overwhelmed poor Nunnally. One pieces, bikinis, etc. This was not an easy task for our young heroine.

'EVERGREEN! HELP ME!'

Meanwhile, as Nunnally desperately tried not to have a heart attack, Evergreen came across Laxus as he strolled through town.

"Laxus!" She called out from a distance.

Hearing someone call his name, Laxus turned to the source with an obvious disappointed expression.

"What's that look for?" Evergreen stopped for a moment and muttered to herself, looking a bit irritated before running up to him with her usual face. "I'm glad I ran into you!"

"Is there some reason you were looking for me?" He replied as he looked down at her.

Evergreen gave him her usual sly smile. "Well I just know something that may peak your interest."

There was a look of boredom on Laxus face, for he didn't really care for dragging things out too long. "So you going to tell me?"

"It seems that the entire guild is going to the beach tomorrow." She explained with her usual haughtiness.

"And this interests me how?"

"I just thought that you might want to g-"

"NOT INTERESTED." He rudely interrupted before turning to walk away.

Evergreen appeared annoyed by Laxus' disinterest for a brief moment before she regained her composure. "That's too bad..." She loudly called out as Laxus walked away. "With you around, I thought there would have been at least one person to keep away the pervs. **NUNNALLY** surely would've have appreciated it."

Hearing his girlfriend's name, Laxus stopped dead in his tracks and slowly turned his head to her with curiosity. "Wait, you mean to tell me that **Nunnally** wants to go?" He said with a bit of disbelief and secret interest.

"That's right..." Evergreen deviously smiled. "And she's even letting me choose her swimsuit for her. I wonder what I'll pick out for her?"

As she said this, Laxus had an idea of the kind of swimsuit Evergreen would pick out for Nunnally and quickly replied with a slight blush. "I'LL GO."

"So glad to hear it!" She clapped her hands together before leaving. "Oh and make sure to tell Bickslow! He'll just sulk again if he's left out in the dark!"

"Y-Yeah..." He nervously looked at Evergreen as she walked away with the feeling that he had been played.

The next day, most of the Fairy Tail Guild arrived at the beach ready to PARTY! An entire day of fun in the sun was awaiting our heroes and thus...

"H-How embarrassing..." Nunnally looked down in shame.

"Geez... I don't get why you're so down! We're here already, so deal with it!" Evergreen yelled at her friend as Bickslow and Freed carried their stuff to set up.

"But this outfit..." Nunnally nervously looked around and attempted to hide her body. 'How indecent...' She thought as she tightly closed her eyes. Nunnally hadn't exactly been wearing anything too flashy or revealing, but because it was a bikini, she felt it was the same as being nude. Evergreen, though, felt otherwise. Despite her teasing and suggestive words about the whole thing, what she picked out for her best friend wasn't all that bad. In fact, Nunnally's swimsuit was from a pretty popular brand among young female wizards, but Nunnally just didn't see it. What she saw were just skimpy navy and gold plaid pieces of fabric that were tied up with strings.

"Whatever you're thinking of, I can assure you that you're overreacting." Evergreen bluntly responded. "Besides..." She suddenly smirked before glancing somewhere nearby. "Laxus doesn't seem to mind."

Just as she said that, Laxus, who stood nearby, intently stared at Nunnally without a word.

"That doesn't make me feel any better..." Nunnally quietly whispered to herself with a blush.

As Nunnally felt embarrassed, Bickslow and Freed busied themselves as they set up.

"Aaaaaand there!" Bickslow sighed in relief as he set down their things before taking a good look around. "Man..." He excitedly smiled at all the pretty girls that walked past them. "Just look at all these babes!" Despite saying this, Bickslow's words were more of an excuse to keep himself from staring at Nunnally whom, he had to admit, looked pretty good in a swimsuit. "Hey Freed, you listening?" He asked his friend who sat crouched down as he rummaged through a bag. "Freed... uh... What are you doing?"

"A good warrior always comes prepared..." He simply replied as he brought out a white, women's sized jacket.

"Wait, what?" Bickslow looked confused as he watched Freed walk towards Nunnally.

"Here you are, Milady. I thought that this might make you more comfortable."

Upon receiving Freed's gift, Nunnally couldn't help smile in thanks to him before putting it on. "Thank you so much, Sir Freed!"

The jacket Freed brought along was meant to cover up Nunnally. Seeing as how she didn't like wearing reveling clothing, Freed figured it would be best to bring it along. The extra coverage was also meant to keep away leering eyes that Laxus wouldn't want to have on her, but...

'Damn, that's hot...' Laxus and Bickslow simultaneously thought.

There seemed to be an allure in a girl trying to cover up when she's showing so much. That might have been because **everything else** was emphasized.

Because of this, Laxus couldn't help but put his hand on Freed's shoulder as he gave him a thumbs up. "Good job, Freed."

Freed simply nodded, unaware of what Laxus was really thanking him for.

"Freed really is a hero..." Bickslow whispered to himself as he quietly thanked his friend.

"HERO! HERO!" His dolls repeated.

"What the hell are those boys doing?" Evergreen looked at them annoyed and confused by their behavior.

After that strange mess and everything calmed down a bit, the girls decided to comb the area on their own.

"And where are you two going?" Laxus asked as he noticed them leaving.

Evergreen simply glanced back at him with a smirk. "You should know that girls don't like clingy and overprotective boyfriends, Laxus. You might just drive away Nunnally if you keep this up."

Laxus looked surprised for a moment before looking away with blush as he couldn't come up with a good response to that.

"Please don't say things like that, Evergreen." Nunnally calmly interrupted before turning to Laxus. "You don't have to worry, Laxus. Evergreen and I were just going to take a look around." She smiled to reassure him. "We'll be back soon."

"Alright..." Laxus replied as he briefly and casually raised his hand to them as a parting wave. "You two be careful." With that, the two girls left, leaving the boys on their own.

Almost immediately after their departure, Laxus gave a deep sigh as he sat down in the warm sand.

"What's wrong? You seem troubled." Freed looked at his friend as he sat down beside him and handed him a water bottle.

"In case you haven't noticed, going to a beach isn't exactly my style." Laxus replied with a tired expression.

Freed nodded. "It appears that Evergreen is quite a powerful adversary to match..." He solemnly stated before he and Laxus hung their heads in defeat.

With the boys' feeling of defeat, the girls scoured the beach. They walked and walked as far as their legs could take them, and along the way ran into several guild members.

"Good luck, Natsu!" Lisanna cheered, attracting the girls' attention.

"What's going on here?" Nunnally asked a nearby guild member who appeared to be taking bets.

"Natsu just challenged Erza to a fight." Max answered as he looked at the two with excitement for some reason. "But I sure hope Erza doesn't draw too much blood. Cleaning it is going to be a pain."

Nunnally looked at him with a slightly frightened face before Jet and Droy walked up to him with bets in hand.

"5000 Jewels says that Natsu gets his teeth knocked out in the first hit!" Jet excitedly handed Max his bet.

Before they knew it, more and more of the male guild members placed their bets against Natsu.

"Hey, let me in on this action!" Gray walked up to them. "I want 3000 on Erza."

Just as Gray handed him the money, Max suddenly got upset as he realized something. "HEY, WAIT A MINUTE!" He yelled. "We can't ALL bet against Natsu!"

'Do all of them have that little faith in him?' Nunnally thought, pitying the poor Dragon Slayer.

The second she thought that, Happy flew by with a bag full of fish in tow. "How much fish can I put on Erza?"

"They're all idiots." Evergreen quietly muttered with an exasperated face.

"Alright, Erza..." Natsu smirked as flames burst out from his body, gearing up for the battle. "Get ready to feel the burn!"

Erza gave him a serious look as she replied. "I'd rather not do something so childish, but I suppose you leave me no choice."

"I'm going to- GAAH!" Just as Natsu was about to continue his pre-battle rant, someone quickly and brutally knocked him out. With him passed out on the ground, Natsu simply mumbled a few unintelligible words. "wafn heq kalfnsb..."

"Woops, looks like Natsu lost." Mirajane smirked with the same urge to battle as Natsu. "Now it's my turn, Red. I hope you're ready for a good beating."

"Mira…" Erza replied with an annoyed look. "Have you no shame? I mean…" She trailed off before looking down at her foot. "Was it really necessary to do that to him?" What Erza looked at was not her rival's foot but what was under it—a passed out Natsu. It seemed that it wasn't enough for Mirajane to knock Natsu out before he even got the chance to fight; she had to step on him too.

"Oh please, like I care about that!" She stomped her foot in annoyance, earning a pained groan from the Dragon Slayer. "I going to finally settle the score the with you!"

"Very well…" Erza began as she requipped into her Sea Empress Armor. "I'll accept your challenge!"

"I'm going to beat you so bad, you're going to be begging me to stop." Mirajane taunted as she transformed into her Satan Soul.

"Well there goes our money…" Macao nervously looked at the girls as Wakaba did the same.

"Well it's not like we lost anything in the first place. We all betted against Natsu..."

As the two men said this, Elfman and Lisanna looked on at their elder sister with troubled expressions.

"Sis is fighting again…" Elfman observed with dismay.

"Is it sad to say that this is normal?" Lisanna questioned as she watched Erza and her sister clash.

"TAKE THIS, DEMON!"

"IS THAT ALL YOU GOT, RED!?"

Nunnally shared Lisanna's and Elfman's concern as she witnessed the intense brawl. Evergreen, however, appeared more annoyed than concerned at the sight as she gave a subtle glare at Erza.

Noticing this, Nunnally turned to her friend. "What's wrong?"

"Well, it's kind of irritating..." Evergreen glared at Erza even more but this time with a frustrated expression. "Just how did a brute like her get the nickname "Titania" when it's so obvious that I'm the true Queen of the Fairies?"

Nunnally simply stayed silent as she forced a smile. She wasn't quite sure what to say about that, for she didn't agree with Evergreen's assertion, but when Nunnally looked back at Erza, she went pale.

"HYAAAAAAH!" Erza yelled with a demonic look as she swung her sword.

'I'm starting to wonder about that too...'

After their brief encounter with the other guild members, Nunnally and Evergreen continued their exploration only to come across a familiar petite and red-headed wizard.

"Well, well... look what the cat dragged in—Bimbo 1 and Bimbo 2." Irma gave a fake smile as she glared at Evergreen. That's right folks, looks like Irma has returned and not too happy with Evergreen for that matter.

This probably should've been mentioned earlier but it was safe to say that Irma and Evergreen weren't on the best of terms. In fact, like Laxus, Evergreen had an extreme distaste for Irma (refer to the beginning Chapter 07 for Evergreen's reaction to the mention of Irma's name), but unlike Laxus, Evergreen was more open about it.

"What's this flat-chested brat doing on an adult beach?" Evergreen bluntly asked as she looked down at the red-headed girl.

"What was that, Specasaurus?" Irma immediately replied with an annoyed look.

As the two girls had their stare down, Nunnally gave a small sigh of discomfort as she witnessed both her friend and rival attack each other with a barrage of insults.

"You picking a fight with me, Four-eyes?" Irma growled.

"Oh, please..." Evergreen gave a small, brief laugh. "Like I need to pick a fight with a brat like you." She laughed once again as she crossed her arms to emphasize her chest. "Why don't you go back to the kiddie pool where you belong?"

This mere action was a blow to the chest (pun intended) to Irma. She looked she would attack Evergreen at any given moment, but just before she blew her fuse, Irma quickly calmed down and smugly smirked. "Figures... The bigger they are the dumber the person is." She hinted at Evergreen's chest. "You'll never amount to anything if all you have is a body and no brains, so you and the saggy sisters right there can just leave."

'Is she talking about me!?' Nunnally embarrassedly thought, unsure of what Irma was referring to.

"Haaaahh?" Evergreen returned Irma's smugness. "The fact that you only care about the size of my chest must mean that you're self-conscious about your own, right?" She smiled. "It must be terrible having only having a **washboard** to show off."

Irma slightly flinched in annoyance before quickly thinking of a good comeback. "At least mine won't sag by the time I'm 30, **HAG**!"

This insult competition went on for some time—much to Nunnally's dismay. As she silently looked on at her friends, Nunnally slowly backed away before something caught her attention. "Huh?"

Just a few meters away, Nunnally spotted Master Makarov sitting by the counter of a seaside shop and talking to a very familiar figure.

"Master and..." Nunnally trailed off before realizing who Master Makarov was talking to. "HUH!? G-GATŌ!?

As she practically yelled out his name, Gatō turned his head towards Nunnally. The moment he spotted her, Gatō grinned and waved. "If it isn't the little Miss! It's been awhile!"

"It certainly has." Nunnally courteously smiled back at Gatō as she walked towards him. Just as she did this, Irma and Evergreen, whom were now pinching and pulling each other's hair and faces in their squabble, immediately froze and watched Nunnally walk past them. "But I certainly didn't expect to find you with my guild's master." Nunnally continued.

Evergreen then walked up to Nunnally with a faint blush and whispered in her ear. "Who's he?"

"He's hot…" Irma admired Gatō as she stood beside Nunnally as well. It seemed that the fine chiseled features of a man were enough to get this red-head fired up.

In fact, Gatō could be quite the ladies' man if it weren't for his oblivious and happy-go-lucky personality. His short black hair, handsome face, and toned muscles were proof of that. The only problem was that Gatō became like that big brother architype most people hear about. Gone are the days where he would rampage and cause trouble with his gang, and hello big brother Gatō.

"Isn't he a little too old for you, kid?" Evergreen glared at Irma as she noticed that Gatō was in his twenties.

"I'm 22." Irma glared back with a pouting look.

The moment Irma said that Nunnally and Evergreen couldn't help but express their utter shock.

"THAT OLD!?" They simultaneously exclaimed. Nunnally and Evergreen's surprise couldn't be helped considering how small Irma was. She hardly looked like an adult to them. If anything, Irma looked like a child.

"WHY THE HELL DO YOU GUYS LOOK SO SURPRISED!?" Irma angrily yelled in return.

"I-It's just…" Nunnally nervously stuttered as she tried to come up with a good answer that wouldn't upset Irma. "I… I-I thought you were our age."

"Screw that!" Evergreen blatantly interrupted. "I thought she was 12!" Just as she said that, Evergreen came to a sudden realization. "HEY, WAIT A MINUTE!" She angrily exclaimed. "WHY THE HELL DID YOU CALL ME A HAG WHEN YOUR OLDER THAN ME!?"

"Oh you're younger?" Irma gave a condescending smirk as she ignored being called a kid. "I thought were already middle-aged. Well, how 'bout that... looks sure can be deceiving, huh?"

There was a heavy sarcastic tone in those words which irritated Evergreen beyond belief, but just as Evergreen and Irma were about to get into another fight, Nunnally quickly broke it up. "Evergreen, please calm down! The Master is **right** here!"

"It's unusual to see you so lively, Evergreen." Master Makarov laughed as he commented on Evergreen's sudden outburst. "You three must get along well."

The moment Master Makarov said that, Evergreen quickly calmed down and looked away in embarrassment. "You can hardly say that that red-headed shrimp and I get along."

Nunnally couldn't help but give a tired smile at Evergreen's words. Even though she said that, it was difficult for our Plant Mage to tell whether she really meant that or not. After all, most people would ignore the people they detest, but Evergreen and Irma can't help but notice each other's presence whenever they cross paths. That must mean that they at least care about each other in some strange and twisted way, right?

"P-Putting that aside... what exactly were you two talking about, Master?" Nunnally curiously asked as she tried to divert the conversation to something else.

"Well this young lad here was telling me all about his shop." Master Makarov explained.

Nunnally gave a look of surprise as she looked back at Gatō. "Oh, this is your store?" She asked, impressed. It was a simple seaside restaurant, but Nunnally could tell how hard Gatō worked on it.

Gatō simply gave an embarrassed smile as he shyly rubbed the back of his neck. "Well you know..." He began. "Carmen was the one who convinced me to open it."

"Carmen?" Nunnally repeated before smiling in realization. "Then does that mean you two finally..."

"Oh? And who's this Carmen?" Makarov curiously asked as he sat amused by his new young friend's embarrassment. He wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about Gatō that reminded him about his grandson. Outwardly, there was absolutely zero resemblance between the two (appearance or otherwise), but Gatō still somehow exhibited an aura quite similar to Laxus.

"Carmen..." Gatō thoughtfully trailed off before he happily grinned like a child. "She's my wife."

The moment he said that, Irma and Evergreen's jaws dropped. 'HE'S MARRIED!?' They simultaneously thought before their legs collapsed into the sand in defeat.

"He's married..." Evergreen muttered as she covered her mouth in shock.

"Of course..." Irma began with the same shock. "His wife must be a big-boobed-bimbo too..." She trailed off in denial.

Okay for everyone who's confused on who Carmen is, I'll explain. You see, two years ago when Nunnally headed over to Watercress Valley and ran into Irma, she had one brief job request to do before that. That job was to help the people of Iris Village restore their crops after several years of unsuccessful harvests, and Carmen was the client for this request. (Refer to chapters 04-06 for more detail)

After that job, Nunnally and Carmen quickly became good friends—often exchanging letters. They caught up on all sorts of things from local news to farming techniques. One topic of late was their love lives. While Nunnally explained everything about her and Laxus, Carmen revealed that she was seeing a handsome young man named Gatō.

When Nunnally found out. She couldn't help but express her surprise. She never in her wildest dreams would've imagined that Carmen, a former client of hers, and Gatō, a former gang leader Nunnally reformed, would meet and fall in love. 'What a small world.' She thought. Carmen and Gatō, however, weren't just mere lovers anymore; they were married now, and Nunnally couldn't be happier for them. Although...

"Ummmmm..." Nunnally quietly began as she looked down at the disappointed Irma and Evergreen. 'What are they doing?' She thought, not understanding their behavior.

"My wife's off visiting her parents right now, so she won't be back for some time." Gatō explained as he didn't seem to notice Irma and Evergreen.

"It's a shame that I won't get to meet her." Master Makarov answered with the same obliviousness as Gatō.

"Y-Yes…" Nunnally awkwardly trailed off as she continued to stare at the girls.

Meanwhile as Nunnally was stuck dealing with this mess, Laxus dealt with his own problems.

"So you're in Fairy Tail?" A pretty girl with short, blonde hair fawningly asked.

"Huh?" Laxus, who sat bored in the warm sand, responded, not paying any mind to the girl's question. "Uh yeah..."

"That's so cool! My friend and I were just thinking of joining Fairy Tail, right Rose?" The blonde girl introduced another girl with long, black hair.

"Yeah totally, Angie!" Rose agreed as she not-so-subtly showed off her cleavage.

"That's nice ..." Laxus replied before he casually drank some water. 'These girls are kinda annoying.'

Although Angie and Rose were total beauties that most sane men would go after in a heartbeat, Laxus expressed an obvious disinterest in them that they didn't seem to notice. Bickslow, on the other hand...

"Hey ladies, Laxus isn't the only one in Fairy Tail, you know?" Bickslow smiled as he tried to get the girls' attention only to be completely ignored.

"Oh wow!" Rose excitedly exclaimed, admiring Laxus. "You're muscles are so big! Do you work out a lot?"

"Yeah, I guess..."

"Ladies! Stop fawning over Laxus!" Freed suddenly cut in. Before Laxus was, as Freed would put it, **harassed** by these two girls, Freed left his idol and Bickslow alone for a few moments to quickly use the restroom, but upon his return, he came back to witness this fiasco.

The moment Freed said that Angie and Rose, glared at him.

"Huh? Who invited this clingy fanboy?" Angie upsettingly asked.

"Huh? C-Clingy? Fanboy?" Freed repeated, seemingly bothered by her insult.

"I know, right?" Rose added. "Like what's with him?"

Although, Freed diverted their attention away from his hero like he originally intended, he hadn't anticipated this outcome. However, as the two girls bullied Freed, Laxus ignored this as he sat in deep thought. 'Man... When's Nunnally coming back?' He wondered. 'It's almost noon. Speaking of which...' His stomach silently growled. 'I'm getting pretty hungry...'

"Just how is Freed getting all the attention?" Bickslow muttered to himself, wondering why he was the only one being ignored.

Back at Gatō's store, Nunnally and company were getting ready to head back to the others—Irma included.

"You guys are heading back already?" Gatō gave a look of disappointed before a smile formed on his face. "Well at least take some food with you. On the house!"

"We couldn't possibly..." Nunnally refused his offer.

"Come on, don't be a stranger." Gatō insisted as he began preparing plates of food to go.

Hearing this, Evergreen finally collected herself as she looked at Nunnally. "Hey, Nunnally. Make sure to get a lot or else Bickslow will end up eating it all."

Nunnally tiredly smiled at her words. "Right..."

"Well, I guess I am pretty hungry" Irma, who finally calmed down, interjected.

"And who said you're getting any?" Evergreen looks down at her with an annoyed look.

"Hey, I'm hungry too you know!" Irma yelled. "So you better not try to hog all the food to yourself, you pig!"

As the two girls continued bickering, Nunnally gave another tired smile at them before she turned her attention back to Gatō. "Since it seems that that's the case, could you please prepare large portions for us? I'm sorry to be a bother."

"Haha! No problem!" Gatō gave a hearty laugh as he grilled some onion and bell pepper. "Large helpings of everything coming right up!"

With that, Nunnally and Evergreen returned to Laxus and the other with an old acquaintance and giant plates of food in tow. However, upon their return, the girls came back to witness two girls hitting on Laxus as Freed and Bickslow stood depressed a few feet away—each for different reasons.

"Uh-oh..." Evergreen muttered, not liking the situation.

"Those girls are totally hitting on him..." Irma whispered to the others.

As soon Irma they said those words, she and Evergreen, remembering that Nunnally stood right behind them, quickly looked back at her.

A dark aura emanated out of our heroine as she silently watched two strange girls talk up her boyfriend. Irma and Evergreen quickly noticed the vibe their friend gave off and slowly backed away. Bickslow and Freed, who also took notice of this aura, quickly turned around in shock.

"M-Milady/M-Miss Nunnally!" Freed and Bickslow called out, unsure of how to explain the situation to her.

As Nunnally stood like this for a few more moments, the bad aura she gave off quickly receded as she looked on at Laxus with her usual calm smile. "Laxus, we're back." Nunnally walked over to sit next to him as she ignored Rose's and Angie's confused stares.

Hearing her voice, Laxus casually looked up and replied. "It's about time." He put his arm around her after she sat down. "Where'd you two go?"

Seeing how Laxus and Nunnally were easily able to ignore the strange girls, Irma and the Thunder God Tribe gave them looks of disbelief. 'IS THIS WHAT THEY CALL BEING BLINDED BY LOVE!?' They all thought as they carefully watched the two lovers interact.

As Nunnally prepared to explain everything that happened, Angie interrupted.

"Um, L-Laxus?" She stuttered as she forced a cute smile. "Um... who's this?"

Laxus looked up with the same disinterested face he previously gave her. "My girlfriend? Who else?"

At that moment Angie and Rose couldn't help but express their shock. "HUH?!" The two girls yelled.

Finally noticing them, Nunnally gave the girls a gentle smile as she calmly introduced herself. "Oh, hello there." She smiled. "I'm Nunnally Wallace."

It was at that moment that Angie and Rose felt utter humiliation and as a defensive reflex, cast the blame all on Laxus.

"What? He has a girlfriend?" Rose loudly scoffed.

"He should've at least told us that." Angie gave a similar reaction. "He totally led us on."

"The lowest." Rose upsettingly turned around. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Yeah..."

Bickslow, seeing this as his chance, excitedly ran after the two girls. "Uh Ladies? Laxus may not be single, but I am!"

"UGH! GET AWAY FROM US YOU CREEPY LOSER!" Angie and Rose simultaneously yelled at Bickslow.

Hearing that, Bickslow disappointedly hung his head as he heaved a sigh. "Man those chicks are mean..." He muttered to himself and walked back to his comrades.

"That giant oaf over there is such an idiot." Irma observed as she sat on a blanket and opened a few plates of food.

"You have no idea..." Evergreen exhaustedly agreed.

"Clingy fanboy..." Freed muttered to himself as he sadly put some food in his mouth, remembering all the names Angie and Rose called him.

Noticing this, Nunnally couldn't help but look up at Laxus. "Did something happen while we were gone?" She tilted her head in confusion.

"Who knows..." Was all Laxus said before chewing some food.

Still not so sure, Nunnally looked around. Her eyes first settled themselves on Irma and Evergreen actually conversing instead of just insulting each other. Next it was Bickslow who gave another sigh as he sat down with them, before looking at Freed with slight worry. Finally, she looked back up at Laxus. "Hey, Laxus?" She quietly called.

"Yeah?" He looked back down at her with a fork in his mouth.

Thinking of everything that happened that day, Nunnally gently smiled. "I really love our guild..."

 _ **To Be Continued…**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Hey guys, I know it's been so long since my last update (around 6 months) and I would like to first apologize for that. I was going through some personal problems (of which I won't bore you with the details), and I've also experienced some pretty bad writer's block. Again I'm sorry about the late update, but I made sure to make it a long one.

Anyways, while I think my writers block is gone now, I have a pretty bad cold right now and it's my senior year so I have to focus on school, but I will try to update as soon as I can. I love you guys. Thanks so much for the support.

I hope you all look forward to chapter 21 because it's going to get a little serious.

Thanks for reading!

See you next time!


	21. Chapter 21: Sisters

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 21: Sisters**

* * *

After the Fairy Tail Guild's beach holiday ended, the rest of summer quickly passed as well as Magnolia's annual Harvest Festival. Laxus was always quick to flee town whenever the festival rolled around by going out on jobs. Nunnally, however, always stayed, but politely refused to participate in the parade. She would happily help out with preparations, but our shy little Mage couldn't bear the thought of having so many eyes on her at once, so she always just stayed in the sidelines, cheering her friends on.

But now with the Harvest Festival long past, our heroes were now deep into the autumn month of November. Nunnally and Laxus were currently out on a mission while the Thunder God Tribe took on a completely separate job of their own. Things went well for our heroes that day, but for Fairy Tail, things went horribly wrong, for on that day, the Fairy Tail Guild lost one of its own.

"LISANNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Grief stricken cries echoed in a distant location.

On that day the sky turned completely dark with an upcoming storm surely on its way.

"How odd..." Nunnally began with a worried expression. "I didn't sense rain today."

"Neither did I." Laxus added. "I wonder what's up?"

Nunnally and Laxus were currently on their way back to the guild hall from a successful mission, but their trek home seemed worrisome as neither wizard sensed the storm to come.

Nunnally often used the surrounding plants in the area as an indicator for rain while Laxus relied on the amount of electricity in the air. The point is, if neither of them felt rain in the forecast, that usually meant bad news.

"We should hurry back home, Laxus." The 17-year-old Plant Mage suggested with a deep sinking feeling in her heart.

"Yeah..."

Thus, our two heroes picked up their pace and quickly returned back to the guild hall. Things back at the hall, however, weren't so great. When Nunnally and Laxus arrived every Fairy Tail member sat gathered with faces of both grief and sorrow.

"Who died?" Laxus jokingly muttered completely unaware of the irony of his ill-formed joke.

It was then that Levy walked up to the couple that just entered. "Laxus... Nunnally..." She strugglingly called their names with small tears forming. "You two should know... Lisanna she... Lisanna..." Nunnally and Laxus then grew quiet as they prepared themselves for the Solid Script Mage's next words. "Lisanna's dead..." Levy uttered as she futility tried to hold in her tears.

"What?" Nunnally whispered with shock as Laxus' eyes went wide. There was nothing that could've prepared the two for that. They just found out that a one of their guild mates just died, and that member was Lisanna—one of the sweetest girls in the entire guild.

Levy tried to explain the details of the incident, but her tears prevented her from doing so. It was then that Erza gently grabbed her shoulder and solemnly shook her head as she suggested that the 15-year-old should just sit down. Erza then gave them a brief explanation of the situation in Levy's place.

"It was that mission that Mira took Elfman and Lisanna on..." Erza looked down sadly. "Things ended badly and now Mira... she..."

"Mirajane!?" Nunnally questioned as she pressed for more answers.

Erza crossed her arms as a frown formed on her face. "I've tried talking to her myself, but she's inconsolable right now. She won't even listen to a word I say."

With those words in mind. Nunnally and Laxus sat down in an empty booth to take in what Levy and Erza told them. "I... I can't believe she's gone..." Nunnally whispered to herself.

"Damn..." Was all Laxus said as he frowned. Even though he said very little, Laxus had a million things running through his head. He didn't understand why Lisanna had to die. Sure Laxus found Lisanna annoying at times, but no more than any other guild member. He didn't wish her dead because of it. 'She was a good kid...' He thought. Good kids don't deserve to die like that—especially not so young.

Nunnally, however, had other thoughts on her mind, and those thoughts were all of Mirajane and Elfman. She understood exactly what they were going through. Suddenly losing a sibling is one of the hardest things a person could ever go through, so Nunnally could just imagine the pain and suffering they must feel. Erza told Nunnally that Mirajane was inconsolable, but perhaps it wasn't that. Perhaps Erza just wasn't the right one to talk to her. Perhaps the right person to console Mirajane was Nunnally. After all, Nunnally was the one who could relate to her the most at the moment.

"Laxus..." Nunnally gave a pained smile. "I need to use the washroom." She lied. "I'll be... right back." Nunnally didn't plan on using the restroom. She just needed an excuse to go find Mirajane. Erza explained that Mira secluded herself from the other guild members in one of the back rooms, and that was where Nunnally hoped she would find her.

Heading to the one of several back rooms, Nunnally searched and searched each room until she stopped in front of a door left slightly ajar. Behind it, she heard a girl mechanically mutter to herself, and Nunnally instantly knew who it was.

"Mirajane?" Nunnally softly knocked before she entered the room, leaving the door slightly open behind her. "Are you all right?" She gently asked as she closed in on her.

"Just leave me alone Nunnally." Mirajane answered as she sat on the windowsill, staring out at the dark sky.

Nunnally looked down for a moment, trying to figure what to say before looking back at her friend. "I don't think I can do that."

Hearing those words, Mirajane angrily turned her head towards Nunnally. "What do you mean "don't think"? Just leave! Go!" She lashed out. "I don't need counseling! I already told Erza that! I don't need it..." She calmed down a bit as she went limp. "Especially not from you..."

Mirajane normally wouldn't have lashed out like that so quickly, but her previous talk with Erza left a sour taste in her mouth. She just didn't want anyone else telling her what she didn't want to hear. _It's going to be okay. It's not your fault. You need to talk about it._ Those were the words she hated the most.

"Mirajane, you need someone to talk to!" Nunnally pleaded as she spoke from experience. "You can't just bottle up something like this up! It'll eat away at you every day unless you find someone to talk to!"

"And you think you're going to be that person?" Mirajane stood up and looked upset at the Plant Mage's audacity. She felt that Nunnally had no right to butt into her problems, that she was just an outsider in her family's problems, and although all that was true, Nunnally just couldn't leave Mirajane alone.

"You need at least **someone** to talk to, and if not me then perhaps your brother-"

"Elfman?" Mirajane interrupted. "You want me to talk to Elfman about this?" She looked shocked before lashing out on Nunnally once more. "He already feels like he's to blame for all this, and you want me to get counseling from **him**!? He's going to think that I'm blaming him too, when, in reality..." Her voice faltered as she teared up, mustering up the strength for her next words. "It's my fault..."

"It's not your fault..." Nunnally tried to reassure as she slowly walked towards her.

"Yes, it is! I'm the one who let her come along on my mission!" Mirajane yelled. "It's my fault Lisanna's gone! It's my fault my little sister's dead! MY- **LITTLE** - **SISTER**!"

"Mirajane, if you can't talk to Elfman, then please... at least talk to me!" Nunnally requested, trying to calm her down. She just couldn't leave Mirajane alone, for she looked like she would break down at any moment.

Meanwhile, as Nunnally tried to console Mirajane, Laxus grew worried about Nunnally as he sat in that empty booth.

'It been almost 20 minutes...' He thought with a frown. 'Is she alright?'

Even though it was a time of mourning for everyone, Laxus felt he needed to prioritize Nunnally and the Thunder God Tribe, his team, over everything else. Mourning Lisanna would have to wait, he was more concerned with how Nunnally was dealing with all this. Because of this, Laxus got up from his seat and walked towards the washrooms to check on his girlfriend. However, when he asked a female member to check on her in his stead, he discovered that she wasn't inside.

'Where the hell did she go then?' Laxus wondered as he walked towards some of the back rooms. 'Back here maybe?'

Just as he thought that, a sudden noise startled him.

"MY- **LITTLE** - **SISTER**!" He heard a girl yell.

"What the hell?" He muttered in surprise. 'Was that Mira?'

"Mirajane, if you can't talk to Elfman, then please... at least talk to me!" He heard another girl's voice.

"And Nunnally?" He questioned.

Laxus wasn't the type to eavesdrop, but something felt off to him as he stood by the slightly open door, peeking in. Nunnally never pried or pushed herself into other people's business. That was actually one of the things he liked about her, but why was she doing it now? Laxus was so confused that he just stood frozen by the door, listening in on their conversation.

"Why!?" Mirajane asked Nunnally, growing angrier and angrier every passing second. "Why would I talk to you about this!? You don't know what it's like! HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND!?" Mirajane raised her voice as she flailed her arms in both anger and frustration, not noticing Nunnally's eyes widening at her words. "YOU NEVER FAILED AS A BIG SISTER! YOU DON'T HAVE A SIBLING THAT YOU NEED TO PROTECT, SO HOW CAN YOU-"

Mirajane's speech was immediately cut short as Nunnally harshly slapped her across the face. Everything grew silent in that moment. Mirajane froze from the shock of being slapped and Laxus' eyes grew wide as he witnessed his girlfriend raise her hand in violence for the first time.

'Shit...' He thought, surprised. Laxus had seen Nunnally use spells plenty of times both in and out of battle, but this was the first time he ever saw her raise a hand towards someone, and to do it to a guild mate? He immediately knew that Mirajane crossed a line although he didn't know what that line was.

"There are plenty of things I'll tolerate, but I will not tolerate you saying that." Nunnally angrily glared at Mirajane as a few tears streamed down her face. "I understand what it's like more than you'll ever know because..." Nunnally shook in anger as she worked up the courage to say her next words. "Because..." She repeated. "BECAUSE I WAS A BIG SISTER ONCE TOO!"

Mirajane's and Laxus' eyes grew wide in shock.

"A long time ago... I had a little sister just like you." Nunnally uttered as she felt a bit numb from the recollection of her 4-year-old younger sister, Sofia. She never intended to talk about her, but since Mirajane was being forced to talk about her feelings, it was only fair for Nunnally to do the same.

Mirajane stood speechless. 'She had a little sister like me...' She thought as she realized the cruel things she told Nunnally. "Y-You had a little sister?" Mirajane asked as if she wasn't sure if she believed her.

Nunnally nodded sadly. 'I had a lot of siblings...' She thought, thinking it was better to leave that part out.

Laxus, who still stood on the other side of the door, somehow felt strange. Hearing Nunnally talk about her sister made Laxus realize that he knew absolutely nothing about her. "She's never told me a thing about her past..." He quietly whispered to himself. He already knew everything about her from her time in Fairy Tail, but what about before that? Laxus then remembered what Nunnally was like when she first came to Fairy Tail. She was quiet and intentionally avoided people. Because of this, he just assumed that she was shy but as he remembered this, a thought sprung onto him. 'But was she always like that?'

"W-What happened to her?" Mirajane asked another question.

"She was murdered..." Was all Nunnally said as she looked down with clenched fists. 'Like everyone else...' She thought, trying to suppress the tears.

With those words, the room became silent again. How can anyone find a response to that kind of answer? It would be one thing if she died in an accident or was gravely ill, but the murder of a little girl? How does one respond to that?

It wasn't until a few minutes passed that someone finally spoke up.

"You..." Nunnally began. "You said that I didn't have someone I needed to protect, that I never failed as a sister, but..." Nunnally looked up with a pained smile as tears streamed down her face. "That couldn't be further from the truth..." Mirajane quietly listened to Nunnally's words. "So if you feel like you've failed then..." She paused "You and I are exactly the same in that regard."

"The same?" Mirajane began to tear up again.

"But you don't have to go through that pain alone. You still have a little brother who needs you the most right now. A little brother that you can still protect."

Mirajane's eyes widened as she thought of Elfman. 'She's right...' She thought as she collapsed to her knees and burst into tears. 'Elfman still needs me...'

Seeing how weak and vulnerable Mirajane was, Nunnally gently fell to her knees and hugged her. "It's okay to cry." She cried. "There's no shame in it... so you just cry to your heart's content."

"LISANNAAAAA!" Mirajane wailed. "ELFMAAAN! I'M SORRY! I'm sorry..."

As they both wept, Laxus simply leaned against the wall outside the door, listening to their cries with a blank, spaced out face.

After what felt like an eternity of crying, Mirajane finally calmed down and slowly pulled away from Nunnally. "Thanks for that." She sniffled with a warm smile that she would eventually always wear, trying to get out the last of the tears.

Nunnally looked at her in surprise as she rarely got to witness that look on the infamous She-Devil's face. "You know you always wore scary face, but right now you look really pretty when you smile like that, Mira." Nunnally smiled, not realizing her unintentional insult.

Although Mirajane normally would have gotten angry for a back-handed compliment like that, she just stared at Nunnally in shock before giving a small tired sigh. "You know..." She gently smiled. "I think this the first you ever called me that."

Her words startled the young Plant Mage. "Oh... I suppose that's true." She replied. When she thought about it, Nunnally never used Mirajane's nickname. She never just called her **Mira.** That is... until now.

As they realized this, they both let out girlish giggles before sitting down against the wall.

"Hey, Nunnally?" Mirajane called out, staring out at nothing as Nunnally did the same.

"Hmm..." She replied.

"What was your little sister's name?" Mirajane sadly smiled as she said this. For some reason, with Lisanna now gone, she wanted to hear about Nunnally's little sister.

Laxus, still outside, casually glanced in their direction, waiting to hear the answer to that.

Nunnally looked down at her lap with a sad expression. It wasn't a difficult question, but as she sat there, she couldn't help but recall the first memory she ever formed.

 _"Oooohh..." A 3-year-old Nunnally curiously patted her mother's enormous belly as she heard the crackling flames in the fireplace. "A little sister?" She looked up at her mother with big, bright eyes._

 _Comfortably seated in a grand armchair, Isabella simply laughed at her daughter's behavior. "That's right." She gently looked down. "After two brothers, you're finally getting a little sister."_

 _A bright smile formed on Nunnally's face as she heard those words. "I want to name her!" She excitedly jumped up and down._

 _Seeing how excited her daughter was, Isabella knew it would be nearly impossible to control her. All she could do was frantically gesture for her to calm down. "Nunnally you should know that naming a child is different from naming an animal!" She tried to explain as she worried that her daughter would come up with a strange name._

 _"But I know her name!" Nunnally clumsily said as she continued to excitedly jump and down._

 _"And just what name do you want to give her?"_

 _In one final jump, Nunnally happily cheered, "GRANDMA!"_

 _At that moment Isabella froze in her seat, touched by her daughter's suggestion. Even though, Nunnally said the word_ _ **Grandma**_ _, Isabella immediately knew what she really meant. Nunnally wanted to name her little sister after her grandmother. Thinking this, Isabella gently smiled as a small tear ran down her cheek. "What a lovely thought. Very well..." She replied as she picked up her daughter and seated her on her lap. "We'll name her..."_

Nunnally smiled at that now distant memory. It was the first thing she ever remembered, but it was probably one of the most vivid. Thinking this, Nunnally lifted her head and looked at Mirajane with a tearful smile. "Sofia..."

With that one word from Nunnally, the two girls reminisced of their deceased sisters—sharing laughs and few tears in between words—and Laxus couldn't help but smile to himself as he walked away, happy that things turned out well. Soon enough, however, Nunnally was left all alone in that room as Mirajane left to console her hurting little brother.

Satisfied with this outcome, Nunnally smiled as she looked out the window. The once black sky began to clear, letting in the bright light of the now setting sun. "Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds, are best relieved by letting out a little water." She began quoting one of her mother's sayings. "But when that weight is finally lifted, it's just clear skies thereon." Nunnally, however, could not maintain that smile for very long as she grimly stared down at her palm. "So even the gods will hear a devil's feelings... But..."She paused. "The gods will never hear a sinner."

Disturbed by her own words, Nunnally stood up and walked out of the room, carefully shutting the door behind her.

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

 _ **In the Next Arc...**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Hey guys! Can you believe it? Two chapters in less than two days? Now before you all get excited, I'm still worried that I'm not completely over my writer's block, so don't go expecting another one so soon. I'm just testing the waters at the moment. I also want to apologize if this chapter seems a little rushed (I did write it in one day, after all), but I had this one in my mind for what seems like forever now, so that did help to write it.

Another thing: It probably seems like I've just been writing side chapters and fluff pieces last few chapters (at least that what it feels like to me), but don't worry. In the next arc, we'll finally be getting back into some hardcore action (okay maybe softcore), but my point is A NEW STORY ARC. I hope you guys look forward to it as much as I look forward to writing it. Keep on reading, guys and...

See you next time!


	22. Chapter 22: Lost Connection

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 22: Lost Connection**

* * *

Only one month passed since Lisanna's death, and it would still take some time for the entire guild to recover from it, but Mirajane was surprisingly able to cope with this misfortune thanks to Nunnally. Realizing that she still had her little brother to protect, Mirajane couldn't let Elfman suffer by himself. She needed to be strong for both of them, but she also realized that she couldn't risk her life and especially Elfman's life on an S-class mission again or on any mission for that matter. Mirajane was too afraid to be the Demon of Fairy Tail ever again. For now, what she wanted was to just be Mira.

With that new change of heart, Mirajane and Nunnally grew closer. Nunnally was no longer afraid of the She-Devil. She saw her as a true friend, and, as her friend, she wanted to help Mirajane get over her pain in any way possible, but that story, however, would have to wait for another time because, now, another problem awaited our heroine.

 _ **Eight Years Ago…**_

 _Eight years prior to our current story, in the year X774 and two years after the Wallace Family Massacre, a great disturbance befell on the Wallace home. Nunnally had long disappeared from her slaughtered family's estate, but now a new face appeared and desperately searched for something._

" _Damn… Where is it!?" A middle-aged man frantically rummaged through papers in the Wallace Family's old library. He searched everywhere for his target, but to no avail. "FUCK!" He yelled in frustration as he angrily scattered the documents in the dimly candle-lit room. "WHERE THE HELL IS IT!?" Whatever he searched for, he deemed it to be of great importance._

 _As he feverishly paced around the abandoned room, he desperately tried to figure out what his next move should be before sitting down to concentrate. "Think…" He whispered to himself as he ran both of his hands through his graying, brown hair before holding his head in frustration. "Think… where else haven't I looked?" He inspected every room, but none bore no fruit to his search._

 _Trying to sort through his thoughts, he slowly looked out the window and down onto the estate entrance. The entire manor was completely devoid of all greenery, only revealing the barren earth. He knew there wouldn't be anything worth checking into out there. The clouded night sky made it almost impossible for that anyways. That was, until he noticed several elongated mounds of dirt he missed upon his arrival beside a dead tree. It was at that moment that he realized what those mounds were. "It has to be there…" He whispered with a slightly crazed and agitated look._

 _With this in mind, he made his way downstairs and towards the front yard with a shovel he found in an old nearby shed. Before he could dig anything up, he stood there and looked on at the mounds, thinking of the atrocity he was about to commit. He tightly gripped the shovel in his hand with a pained look before committing himself to this horrible deed and planting the tip of the spade into the cold, dead earth. It wasn't long before his worst fears quickly became reality as he dug up something all too familiar._

" _Hello, old comrade…" He quivered slightly before taking in a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves. "It's a shame for us to meet like this after so long. You and I… We've fought countless battles together. You… You were like a brother to me, but… I have to do this..." He began before an angry glare slowly appeared on his face. "You leave me no choice…" With those words and a small tear running down his cheek, he continued to dig and dig up more and more bodies—all belonging to Wallace Family._

 _As he dug up the 9th remaining body, however, he quickly began to lose it. "No..." He quietly said as looked around to count the remains. "No… NOOOO! THERE SHOULD BE TEN! WHERE'S THE LAST ONE!?" He feverishly tried to make sense of this discovery. Based on the descriptions he was given of each member of the Wallace household everyone was accounted for—everyone except…_

 _Standing there,_ _he quietly shook as his eyes grew wide in anger. "There's a body missing…"_

Eight years passed since that mysterious man desecrated Nunnally's family's graves, and it was now the Christmas Season of the year X782, and our heroine merrily made her way through the streets of Magnolia for her and Laxus' special Christmas date as she tightly held a neatly-wrapped, brown package against her chest.

"Oh dear… I hope I'm not late." She worried as she exhaled a warm breath into the cold, dry air. Nunnally didn't particularly like the cold weather, but she decided to bear with it for her special date. But speaking of cold weather… "I wonder if Laxus will like it?" She tightly gripped the large package closer to her chest as she remembered all the effort she put in into selecting the perfect gift for her beau.

Nunnally usually gave a lot of thought into her gifts, sometimes spending months thinking about it. For someone as finicky about gift giving as Nunnally, it was difficult to figure out just the right thing to give someone. It was the same way with the gift she picked out for Laxus.

 _A few months prior, around early October, Nunnally began to worry of the upcoming Christmas Season quickly approaching. This worry, in turn, took her to a local haberdashery where, when she opened the door to the small shop, was greeted by the sound of a small chime._

 _Nunnally took a look around the store as the owner, who looked well into his 50s, was already preoccupied with an another customer, but it wasn't very long until the store owner took notice of Nunnally and appeared surprised by her presence._

" _Young Miss?" The owner called out to Nunnally as she admired a few men's coats. Realizing that she didn't hear him, the owner called out to her again. "Young Miss, may I help you with something?"_

 _This time, Nunnally heard him loud and clear as she slightly jumped from surprise and turned to the owner with a nervous smile._

" _Is there something I can help you with?" The owner repeated his question as he looked down at her in confusion. "This is a men's clothing store, young Miss. I don't believe there's anything here for you." He carefully tried to explain to Nunnally. There were some women, of course, who dropped by his store from time to time, but they were all usually housewives who visited with their husbands. He rarely had any female customers come on their own, but it was very rare, and he wasn't acquainted with Nunnally to know the reason for her patronage._

" _I-I'm well aware of that, Sir." Nunnally nervously answered. "But I wish to purchase a gift for someone, and I wasn't quite sure where to go." She looked down in embarrassment before quickly looking back up again as she remembered something else. "But I've heard very good things about this shop, so I thought I would see for myself."_

 _The store owner smiled as if the whole world finally made sense to him. "I think I understand now." He replied as he removed the tape measure that hung around his neck before moving toward the counter and motioning Nunnally to follow him. "So it's a gift, is it?" He repeated for confirmation. "Who's the lucky man? A pretty girl like yourself is bound to have a few men interested."_

 _Nunnally gave him a courteous yet slightly uncomfortable smile. Of course, Nunnally got compliments like that every once in a while, but she was always taught to remain humble, so it was difficult to respond whenever someone praised her. All she could do was thank them and that was the end of that conversation._

" _You flatter me…" Nunnally gave her go-to response. "I wish to give it to my boyfriend."_

" _Well, what kind of gift do you have in mind? A suit? A coat?" The owner questioned as he got down to business. He wasn't interested in small talk anymore; he was pure business. "But you should know I mostly make tailor-made clothing. I'm going to need a description of his height and measurements. Keep in mind that I don't like wasting time, young lady."_

 _Upon hearing this, Nunnally suddenly panicked. "Oh! Of course! Now where that I put that…" She trailed off as she clumsily took out a piece of paper from her bag. "Um, here… I-I made sure to take his measurements beforehand. Although, I did have to be discreet about it…" She blushed at her last statement._

 _The owner gave a smile at her readiness. "It nice to see a youngster, like yourself, have some sense. Most kids these days come in here thinking that this is some regular clothing store. I always have to turn them away because they're always causing trouble for me." He vented._

 _Nunnally just stood there, unsure how to respond._

" _That magician's guild is even worse." He continued._

 _The moment he said that, Nunnally's eyes grew wide as she stiffened up. "Y-You mean Fairy Tail?" She nervously asked as she thought it'd be best not to mention that she was a wizard too._

 _The owner became noticeably more irritated at the mention of Fairy Tail. "Those youngsters are always causing us store owners trouble. I even hear they got some Salamander in that guild that's causing the most trouble—whatever that means."_

 _Nunnally simply gave a small, faint smile at his words as she knew who the owner was talking about. 'Natsu…'_

" _Ah… Listen to me talking nonsense… You probably don't want to hear this old man's ramblings." The owner returned to his work as Nunnally tried to assure him that she didn't mind. "No, it's fine. You don't have to spare me kindness. I'm already 62 years old, so I've had a lot of time to learned that this fast-paced world has no room for old geezers like myself." He sighed a bit before perking up a bit. "Well, I have another customer waiting for me in the back, but I'll come back to you in just a moment. Look around in the meantime. You can decide what you want to give that boyfriend of yours while you wait."_

 _As soon as the store owner left, Nunnally took him up on his offer to look around the shop, and she was impressed. Every article of clothing appeared to be of high-quality material and the owner's craftsmanship and detail were just amazing. He may have been an old man, but his eyes worked just like new. Seeing all of this, left Nunnally in awe. She never knew that men's apparel had so much variety and detail just like women's. Because of this, she began to feel a deeper appreciation for men's fashion._

 _The variety of selection also proved to be problematic for Nunnally. She knew what she wanted to get Laxus—a nice coat, but there were a lot more options than she anticipated. "This might be more difficult than I thought…" She whispered to herself._

 _It took a few more minutes of looking around until her eyes settled on a black, fur overcoat. It was more casual than the others, but it was just Laxus' style. "Perhaps this one?" She casually mumbled, not realizing that this coat would be something that Laxus would wear for years to come._

 _It was at that moment that the shop owner returned to see Nunnally admiring one of his most recent displays. "Did you find something you're interested in?" He smiled as he put down some of his tools, startling the young mage before she nodded with a bright smile._

" _How much would it cost to have something like this made?"_

All that effort Nunnally put in made her hope that Laxus would be pleased. She just wanted him to be happy, although, she secretly did want to score some brownie points with him, but that was just an added bonus.

As she carried her gift against her chest, she grew more and more nervous with every step as she headed to rendezvous with her lover. It wouldn't be long until she met up with him, but, despite that, our impatient heroine couldn't wait another second, so she decided to take a shortcut through an empty alleyway with an elated smile on her face. That smile, though, didn't last long, for an unknown assailant laid in waiting for the young wizard.

It all happened so fast that Nunnally didn't have any time to react at all. The moment her attacker grabbed her, she dropped Laxus' gift on the snow-covered ground and tried to call for help but her assailant quickly covered her mouth and nose with a cloth drenched in a sweet-smelling liquid. Her muffled cries echoed in the alleyway as she fought to break free, but the surprise and horror left her unable to think logically as she momentarily forgot that she could scatter to break free. This thought never occurred to her, for all she could think of was, not Laxus, but her attacker. She struggled for several minutes until she became exhausted and lightheaded, and before she knew it, Nunnally completely lost consciousness.

Laxus, who arrived at their meeting place a few minutes early, sat on a bench, thinking about the date he planned out for them. 'Walk, restaurant, presents…' He quickly summarized in his head as he rubbed his hands together from the cold and gave a deep nervous huff to calm his nerves. There was actually a lot more to their date than that, but it wasn't anything extravagant; it was simple.

Despite the simplicity of their date, Laxus felt that he needed to make up for the previous year. The S-Class Trials and his missions really got in the way of any holiday celebrations they could have had, so Nunnally had to spend most of the winter by herself, and it didn't help that the previous year was supposed to be their first Christmas together. He really screwed up last year, but this year was the year he would redeem himself! Or, at least, that was the plan... He even wore his best duds for their date. It wasn't a suit, but it was the closest thing he had—a casual sports coat, dress shirt, and slacks.

He waited on that bench for what seemed like forever, and it might as well have been because, despite all the anticipation, Nunnally never showed up.

Thirty minutes past their meeting time, Laxus looked at his watch with a dark, disappointed expression as he began to feel the coldness of winter as he sat alone on that bench. "She's really late..." He muttered. He didn't think much of it at first because he thought that she probably just got preoccupied with something else, but when he later looked back at his watch again and saw that she was now an hour late, he really started to worry.

'Where the hell is she?' He thought with a frown. Thirty minutes was one thing but an hour? Something was up and Laxus could sense it. Despite this worry, he decided to wait it out for just a few more minutes. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, after all.

Laxus, however, quickly got sick and tired of all the waiting around and, with an irritated expression, began walking about on his own to clear his head. Instead of worry now, he was royally pissed at Nunnally because, as far as he knew, she stood him up. He had no way of knowing what happened to her. He simply walked around aimlessly before decided to meet up with the Thunder God Tribe. He overheard them talk about having their own private Christmas party a few days ago at Freed's place and decided to crash it. 'Who knows… She might be over there now...' He thought with an irritated expression.

Along the way, he passed by Fairy Hills where he ran into Evergreen as she exited the gate to head over to Freed's place. "Laxus?" She looked up at him in surprise with both hands in the pockets of her warm, brown, fur coat and purse on her shoulder.

"Oh, hey…" He blankly greeted. "I figured you'd be at Freed's by now."

"That's something I should be asking you." She continued to look up at him in confusion. "Aren't you supposed to be on a date right now?" Evergreen didn't understand what was going on. From what she understood, Laxus was supposed to meet up with Nunnally ages ago. What was he doing here?

"I was stood up…" He looked away in irritation.

His words confused Evergreen even more. "What are you talking about?" She questioned, trying to make sense of it all. "She was supposed to meet with you a long time ago."

"Well, she never showed up, alright?" He quickly snapped at her, showing how ticked off he was.

"That's IM-POS-SI-BLE!" She answered with a scowl—not exactly appreciative of the attitude Laxus gave her. "She was so excited about your date that she went on and on about it. To be honest, it was getting kind of annoying after a while."

Laxus calmed down a bit after hearing this. "S-She was really that excited?" He questioned as he began to feel a little proud of himself.

"YES!" Evergreen nodded with frustration. "She even got your gift months in advance, and it's REALLY good too."

This changed everything. If Nunnally was as excited as Evergreen described her to be, and if she never showed up for their date, WHERE **DID** SHE GO? This thought ran through Laxus' mind over and over. He wasn't pissed off anymore; he was **really** worried now. "Shit, what if something happened to her?" He accidentally said out loud.

His words completely freaked Evergreen out. "What!?" She panicked.

Laxus couldn't explain to her what went through his head. All he could do was hurry over to Freed's place as quickly as possible with Evergreen following close behind.

"MILADY'S MISSING!?" Freed asked with shock while Bickslow had food stuffed in his mouth, leaving him unable to speak. They couldn't believe it. It wasn't like Nunnally to go off on her own without telling anyone, so the situation seemed pretty serious at this point.

Desperately wanting to say something, Bickslow forced down his food. "What do you mean she's missing?" He asked in disbelief.

"Exactly as it sounds." Evergreen crossed her arms at his lack of tact. "She never showed up for her date with Laxus."

"Look, I'm sorry for ruining your party, but can you guys help me look for her?" Laxus asked, feeling a bit bad for involving them.

"Are you really asking us that?" Bickslow smiled at his best friend. "We'd help you even if didn't want it."

"He's right." Freed nodded with a smile at Bickslow's words. "We should start our search by visiting her last known whereabouts."

"Someone is bound to have seen her." Evergreen smiled in a reassuring way.

Laxus looked on at his team in awe and appreciation. He didn't show it, but he was touched by how far they would go to help him—even if he ruined their plans. All he did was give a small, faint smile before turning around to head out with the Thunder God Tribe quickly following suit.

They began their search around Fairy Hills, asking everyone that passed by if they saw her. Only one person was able to direct them to the direction she left, but that was enough to get their hunt started. For hours, each of them searched for at least a clue as to where Nunnally could have gone, but most people can barely remember who they saw in the street just a few minutes ago, and they expected someone to remember, out of the many, one girl? It was asking for the impossible.

With the few people who did see Nunnally, Laxus and the Thunder God tribe weren't getting anywhere. That is, until an old woman with the memory of an elephant directed them to an old alleyway.

"Such a sweet looking girl." The woman smiled as she remembered Nunnally.

"So you saw her!?" Laxus frantically asked her again for confirmation.

"Oh, yes." She slowly nodded before pointing to an alley. "I saw her go into that street. She seemed to be in an awful hurry. There're not many people over there, so I was quite worried about such a young girl going through there alone."

Laxus was so happy that he finally got some good information that he almost hugged the old woman but restrained him. "Thanks for telling me."

"Anytime, dear." She smiled again before she remembered something. "Oh, dear? Before you go…" She stopped Laxus from leaving. "You look so familiar. Are you by any chance Makarov's grandson? He was such good friends with my late husband."

As the elderly woman waited for a response, Laxus froze and hesitated to answer. 'The old man…' He thought as he looked away to hide the scorn on his face. 'Why do they always…' Laxus hated it when they brought up his grandfather. He didn't hate his grandpa, but he hated the fact that people only recognized and acknowledged him because he was the grandson of **Master Makarov**. He just couldn't take it anymore, so with a solemn and pensive face he looked back at the old woman and said, "No… you got me confused with someone else," before walking away, **trying** to focus on finding Nunnally.

"So she went through here?" Evergreen asked as Laxus showed them the way.

"Uh, yeah…" He replied, still bothered by what the elderly woman asked him just minutes ago.

"But there's nothing here." Evergreen looked around before Bickslow spotted something buried in the snow.

"Wait, what's that!?"

Laxus looked over to the object Bickslow spotted—the brown package. The moment he saw it, he quickly ran over to it before kneeling down to inspect it. "Nunnally was here…" Laxus whispered with wide eyes.

"How do you know?" Bickslow asked.

"Because there's a card that says "To Laxus, Love Nunnally" here." He lifted up the piece of paper as he looked back at him with an annoyed expression.

"Oh…" Bickslow briefly answered before growing quiet from embarrassment.

"So that settles it!" Evergreen interjected. "She was here!" There was a sigh of relief in her voice that came from finding something linked to Nunnally. Her relief, though, didn't last long as Freed spoke up.

"Yes, but the question here is "Where is she now?"" He solemnly looked on at everyone. Not sure how to answer him, everyone remained silent as he continued. "Milady, wouldn't just drop something like this and disappear. The fact that we found this here means that something indeed happened."

Everyone looked shocked. Freed was the most logical person out of all of them and what he told them definitely made sense, but there was something Evergreen still didn't understand.

"So then what could've happened?" She asked, growing more and more worried.

Freed then looked around and took a few moments to think of an answer. The conclusion he came up with, though, was something he didn't like at all. "With a secluded area like this…" He paused. "There's a good chance that… She was attacked."

"But she's a wizard!" Evergreen tried to explain. "Regular people don't just attack wizards. That's like asking for a death wish."

Freed then covered his mouth as he looked down in deep thought. "That's what I don't understand…" He whispered to himself before looking around again. "If a regular person attacked from the front then she would've been able to defend herself, but if she was attacked from behind…"

There was an unintentional ominousness in Freed's voice that began to scare Evergreen, but she didn't know what to say. Just this morning, Evergreen saw her best friend fine and well, but now there was a likely chance that she was attacked, and no one was around to help. That's why Freed's next words were the most frightening of all.

"If she was attacked, I don't believe it was by any ordinary person." He lifted his head and gave his comrades a grave look. "I think someone waited for her to pass by here."

"Why-" Evergreen tried to ask but was immediately interrupted by a frustrated Freed.

"I don't know…" He gave a deep sigh. "It was just a guess, but if my assumption is correct, then I think it'd be best if we tell the guild."

"NO!" Laxus yelled as he tried to keep his temper.

"Hey… Buddy…" Bickslow looked at him, a bit worried. "Freed's right, man. We can't just-"

"Forget it!" Laxus angrily interrupted. "I'm not asking the old man for help! I don't need it…"

Everyone went quiet as they stared at Laxus with worry. He looked as if he was going cry as he glared down at the package in his hands. Laxus didn't want to go to his grandfather with something like this; he just couldn't. If he did, it would be admitting that couldn't handle it on his own. A man's pride, after all, was was worth more than his life.

With this in mind, Laxus quickly calmed himself down before turning away from the Thunder God Tribe. "I can find Nunnally on my own." He briefly declared before coldy looking back at them. "If you guys want to follow me, FINE, but if you don't, DON'T, but I'm going to look for her WITH or WITHOUT you guys."

It was as if Laxus gave them an ultimatum to shut up and help him or just go home. Of course, they couldn't do the latter, for, **one** , it was morally wrong, and, **two** , Nunnally was their friend as well. If something did happen, they couldn't just leave her. They just couldn't do that to their friend.

With that unanimous decision, the Thunder God Tribe followed Laxus to find Nunnally.

With no other leads, Laxus desperately tried to pick up Nunnally's scent. Natsu always bragged about how a Dragon Slayer's nose was a lot sharper than other people, so now he hoped that it wasn't just talk because, as a Dragon Slayer himself, he needed that keen sense of smell to find her.

As he still held Nunnally's gift in his hands, he took in a deep breath and tried to get a hold of her scent. However easy it might have sounded, it was far more difficult for him to pick up on Nunnally's scent. There were too many other odors lingering in the air, and not to mention that the fact that he was a 2nd Generation Dragon Slayer didn't help him at all. He was definitely stronger than Natsu, without a doubt, but the other qualities that came with being a Dragon Slayer didn't come so easy to him. Because of this, it took some time for Laxus to distinguish Nunnally's scent from all the others, but he could tell this scent was Nunnally's based on one thing. "Flowers…" He whispered. That was the scent Laxus always smelled on her, and it being winter magnified it ten-fold.

Hot on her trail, Laxus and the others made their way outside of Magnolia and deep into the East Forest. They searched for hours—even when nightfall approached. The others began to lost hope but Laxus desperately kept searching. To make matters worse, dark clouds hung overhead with deafening claps of thunder. Soon, rainfall followed, despite the coldness, washing away any scent of Nunnally.

"No…" Laxus quivered with his hair and clothes completely drenched. "NO! NOOOOO!" He yelled as he fell to his knees before he violently and frustratedly struck the soaked, cold snow with his fist. "WHY… WHY CAN'T I SMELL HER ANYMORE!"

The pained looked on Laxus' face was heartbreaking. The only thing that that rain was good for was that it was able to hide his frustrated tears. He didn't know what else to do at this point. He didn't know where Nunnally was, much less happened to her and that's what upset him the most. He just needed to know that she was safe and sound.

Freed and Bickslow tried to help him up, but the moment they did, Laxus immediately pushed them away before angrily striking the ground once more. "NUUNNNAAALLLLLYYYY!"

Hearing a droplet of water close by, our heroine stirred awake to the morning rays and last drops of rain from the previous night's storm. "What…" She groggily whispered before realizing that couldn't move her body at all. Her eyes then fully opened to find in midair with both her arms and legs parted and constrained in awkward positions by threads. Not only that, as she frantically looked around, she found herself to be in some sort of crystal prism. "W-What is this?" She began to quiver in fear. "W-Where am I?"

"So you've finally awakened…" A deep, gruff voice coldly echoed causing Nunnally to freeze with a look of horror on her face before she slowly turned her head to the source. "Your Royal Highness…"

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Phew… It is NOT easy to write this! Hey guys, long time no speak. I just wanted to let you guys know that I think I've officially got my mojo back and will be able to write on a regular basis. But only when I have time! I've still got school work to do.

I hope you guys liked this chapter, and, if you did, PLEASE like and comment! I always enjoy reading you guys' comments. I always appreciate the reads you guys give me, and I wouldn't have gotten this far without you guys. I love you all and thanks so much!

I hope you guys look forward to the next chapter and…

See you next time!


	23. Chapter 23: Paradox Syndrome

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 23: Paradox Syndrome**

* * *

Hearing a droplet of water close by, our heroine stirred awake to the morning rays and last drops of rain from the previous night's storm. "What…" She groggily whispered before realizing that she couldn't move a single inch of her body. Her eyes then fully opened to find herself in midair with both her arms and legs parted and constrained in awkward positions by wire-like threads. Not only that, as she frantically looked around, she found herself to be in some sort of strange crystal prism. "W-What is this?" She began as she quivered in fear. "W-Where am I?"

"So you're finally awake…" A deep, gruff voice coldly echoed causing Nunnally to freeze with a look of horror on her face before she slowly turned her head to the source. "Your Royal Highness…"

"W-Who are you!?" Nunnally panicked. She didn't understand what was going on—not a single thing. The last thing she remembered was heading to meet up with Laxus for their date. Nunnally didn't understand how she ended up like this, but then she remembered something else. She remembered that just before she blacked out, **someone** attacked her. "W-Were you the one who attacked me!?" She fiercely asked with a stern expression, although, deep down inside, she was frightened beyond belief.

"Isn't that obvious?" He callously looked up at her. Nunnally's attacker wasn't just some kid who wanted to have some **fun.** He was well past his prime and he looked exhausted as he glared up at her with his old withered eyes. "Eight years…" He lowly growled.

Not hearing him clearly, Nunnally gave him a look of confusion as she tried to keep calm. "W-What?" She instinctively asked before shutting her mouth.

"It took me eight years to find you…" The man practically whispered as he continued to glare up at her.

Nunnally, however, still couldn't quite hear his words due to how high up she was, but she didn't say anything in fear for own life. She had no idea who this man was or his purpose for kidnapping her, but considering how angry he looked, it probably wasn't a good idea for her upset him any more than he already was. Instead, she focused on how she could escape from this psychotic man. It was then that she remembered something. In all the panic and chaos, she completely forgot that she could utilize the one spell that could get her out of this crazy mess.

As the crazed man continued to mumble and mutter under his breath, Nunally discreetly tried to make her escape. Set on using her scatter technique, she felt confident that she could get away unscathed. However, the moment she used it, something felt completely wrong for nothing happened. Just as she realized that her Magic wasn't working, the wire-like strings that were wrapped around both her wrists and ankles sent thousands of volts of electricity throughout her entire body. "AAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" She yelled from the horrifying electric shock. That current lasted for only a few seconds, but the pain lingered on her skin like a bad sunburn. The worst part was that most people had the freedom to writhe around to help alleviate the pain, but Nunnally had no such freedom. She was a prisoner in her unresponsive body.

"I see that you've just tried to use your Magic." The man coldly looked up at the 17-year-old girl, unmoved by the pained tears that ran down her face. "I don't think I have to tell you not to try that again. Every time you do, a strong electric current will course through your body and increase in power each time. Think of it as a sort of failsafe for unruly prisoners."

As the searing pain remained on her skin, Nunnally shut her watering eyes before opening them again to look down at the white snow. The young Plant Mage hated the coldness of winter, but now all she wanted was to lie in the cold snow to soothe her blistering skin. "Why…" She loudly called out as more tears trickled down her cheeks. "Why are you doing this? What did I do to you?"

"Why?" The grey-haired man appeared annoyed by her question. "Why you can blame that cursèd family of yours for that." He continued to look at her with dark, dead eyes. "My how you look so much like Cathrine… it's almost frightening." There was a disgusted yet almost reminiscent look on his face as he said this.

'Cathrine?' Nunnally thought as her tears finally stopped. 'I look like Cathrine?' Nunnally had no idea who this "Cathrine" was and frankly she hardly care less. The way this maniac talked made him sound like the only reason that he kidnapped and tortured her was because she looked like some woman he knew. "That's why you're doing this!?" Nunnally finally cried out. "Because I look like her!?"

Nunnally's spiteful words pierced her assailant's heart. "You think me a simple man, do you?" He gritted his teeth before he menacingly yelled up at her. "That woman could have burned for all I care! What I want to know is where your family's secret scrolls are! Where did you hide them!?"

"W-What?" Nunnally replied in fright. "You're completely mad. I don't know what you're talking about, so just let me go!"

"You're lying, Abelia! NOW TELL ME WHERE YOU'VE HIDDEN THE SCROLLS ON HERCULEAN MAGIC!"

Nunnally looked even more frightened than before as the crazed man brought up an old ghost from her past. 'H-He thinks… that… I'm Abelia?'

"I know you're hiding them. Now tell me where they are!" Her attacker yelled as he grew more and more impatient.

"You have it all wrong!" Nunnally desperately yelled in an attempt to get through to him. "I'm not Abeila! I don't know anything about that Magic!"

"YOU LIE, ABELIA! I KNOW YOU HAVE THE SCROLLS! I'VE WASTED EIGHT YEARS SEARCHING FOR YOU! I WILL NOT LEAVE HERE WITHOUT THE HERCULEAN SCROLLS!"

Nunnally had no idea what to do. This was just like what happened with Nyx almost two years ago, but, at the same time, it wasn't anything like it at all. She was dealing with a crazed lunatic who wanted something that she didn't have. What was going to happen to her if couldn't meet his demands?

As if answering her thought, her attacker quickly calmed down as his scowl remained. "Well, no matter…" He ominously began. "Even if you won't answer my question, I'll get an answer from your lifeless corpse soon enough."

Nunnally didn't respond at all as her burning body quickly grew numb and cold from fear. 'He's… going… to kill me?' The past Nunnally would have gladly welcomed death if it meant that she could see her family again, but now, with Laxus, Evergreen, Freed, Bickslow, and all her friends being her new family, the present Nunnally wasn't ready to leave this world; she didn't want to die anymore.

"How strange…" Her assailant continued. "You're oddly quiet for someone who's about to die. If I didn't know any better, you look like you don't know what kind of Magic this is." He looked at crystal structure and threads that held Nunnally. "Even those impoverished children of war know what Magic this is. Don't tell me these Westerners have polluted your mind so much that you've forgotten all of your studies, Your Royal Highness?" He questioned with a mocking tone.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Nunnally finally yelled as she regained her senses. "I AM NOT ABELIA, AND THAT IS NOT MY TITLE!" It was as if something in Nunnally finally snapped. This mad man kept repeating her deceased sister's name and addressing her the way would've been referred to if she remained in the Pergrande Kingdom. Even though he thought she was Abelia, it was obvious that this man knew a lot more about her own family than even Nunnally did, and the thought of this infuriated her. "NOW ANSWER ME! WHO ARE YOU, AND WHAT IS THIS MAGIC YOU'RE USING!?"

"These Westerners have done more to you than I thought—and to think that you used to call me " _Uncle Hugo"_ when you were but a small a child. Have you honestly forgotten your father's closest ally? " He began as Nunnally's eyes grew wide from shock.

'My father's… closest ally?' Nunnally thought as she processed this new information. 'Does that mean that Hugo and my father were… were friends? Hugo? Why does that name sound familiar?'

Hugo glared up at Nunnally once more. "That look on your face…" He continued. "So you really have forgotten. Well, I suppose it's for the best. After all, it was that damned father of yours that betrayed and cast off both Ricky and I like a pair dice!

'Ricky? Rick… Richard?' Nunnally thought with a look of shock as she remained silent. 'Richard… and… Hugo? I've definitely heard those names before… but where?' Nunnally had never met Hugo in her entire life, but those two names were eerily familiar to her. Although she wanted to ask Hugo what he meant about being her father's ally and about being betrayed, Nunnally knew that she couldn't dwell on those unanswered questions. She had her a bigger problem on her hands—or wrists and ankles to be exact.

"What Magic is this!?" She tried to squirm around, but her body didn't budge a bit. She could move her head just fine, but it was if the rest of her body was completely frozen.

"So you really have forgotten that too? I can't tell if it's the West or pure ignorance that's at fault." He thought aloud but continued on answering Nunnally's question. "Have you really forgotten what Imprisonment Magic is? One of the few types of Magic that was created in our country!? OUR HOMELAND!?"

"Our homeland…" Nunnally whispered to herself. It may have very well been ignorance, but she really had no way of knowing what Imprisonment Magic was. Her studies began from the moment she could talk, but Nunnally wasn't even 8-years-old when she lost everything. At such a young age, Magic wasn't really a subject to be taught. Instead of Magic, Nunnally was rigorously tutored in math, music, etiquette, the history of Pergrandean royalty and the many languages she had to learn for any future diplomatic relations she would have. All that, however, seemed useless to her now. She never mastered any of it, and it wouldn't help her now even if she did.

"Even if you refuse to answer me…" Hugo continued. "That Magic thread will forcefully rob you of any information you're hiding—until there's nothing left. I've interrogated many prisoners this way, but do not fret too much… there's no need to imprison a corpse. The moment your heart stops beating, the spell will be broken."

Although Hugo's explanation didn't really explain much of anything, Nunnally did understand one thing. 'If my heart stops beating… I will be released?' It was a dangerous thought. Suicide seemed like the only option for her now, and she had one thing on her person that could do that without the use of Magic. Death or death—she would die either way—whether it was Hugo who did it or his spell. 'He won't let me go not matter what I do…' There was a look of despair that began to consume our young heroine as she looked up at her left wrist. 'Then so be it…'

Several minutes of silence passed by, but Nunnally continued to blankly glance over at her sleeve-covered wrist. Although her body could not move, she desperately made an effort to move her left hand, but it wouldn't budge. It wasn't until several minutes later, however, that Nunnally felt something strange. She wasn't trying to use Magic, so she was safe at the moment, but she couldn't help but feel that something was off. Just as she thought this, she realized why this feeling came to her.

As if a miracle occurred, she slowly regained control of her left hand. Her fingers made small awkward movements, but she could finally move her hand. Although Nunnally did wonder how she suddenly regained control of it, for it didn't feel like it was her own strength doing so, she didn't question it. Her mind was focused on her sleeve-covered wrist—or more like what was hidden in it. The moment she slipped the hidden object into her hand, Nunnally looked over at Hugo who remained quiet and noticed that he sat resting on a nearby log, looking down at the snow-covered ground. As she saw that Hugo paid no attention to her actions, that very next moment, Nunnally flicked a small round object towards her mouth and held it between her teeth before fiercely biting into it, swallowing only half of it and letting the rest fall into the crystal abyss.

With her goal reached, Nunnally simply waited in complete silence. She used this time to think of everything that had happened, everything she went through, and especially of Laxus. 'I want to see him…' She longingly thought as a small tear rolled down her cheek. 'We were supposed to go on a date, but this man ruined it.' "Hugo…" The moment she whispered his name, Nunnally suddenly realized something. 'Hugo is from the Pergrande Kingdom. Hugo… That's where I know that name. Hugo…' Her thoughts continued as she mentally repeated his name. "Hugo Salvatore…" She whispered with a gasp before she yelled out his name for the mad man to hear. "YOU'RE HUGO!"

As soon as he heard his name, Hugo looked up at the Nunnally in great annoyance but didn't respond.

"I remember now…." Nunnally continued as she glared back down at him. "You're- You're "The Desert Snake!" YOU'RE HUGO SALVATORE!"

Hugo merely let out a small chuckle at her words. "Now that's a nickname I haven't heard in years…" He quietly thought aloud before addressing Nunnally. "Have you finally regained your memories, Your Royal High-"

"NO!" Nunnally cut him off in anger. This anger, though, was different from anything she ever felt before. It didn't stem from some injustice she witnessed or even a wrong done to her. No, this anger came solely from the patriotic pride she held as a citizen of the Pergrande Kingdom. "I HAVE NO RELATIONS TO YOU NOR HAVE I EVER! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A TRAITOR TO THE CROWN! IT WAS YOU AND THAT PARTNER OF YOURS, RICHARD GRANGER, THAT BETRAYED MY FATHER—THAT BETRAYED OUR COUNTRY FOR THE ENEMY! "BEWARE "THE DESERT SNAKE!" BEWARE "THE MOUNTAIN FOX!"" THOSE WERE THE WARNINGS I WAS GIVEN AS A CHILD!" Even with her outburst, Nunnally still hadn't finished what she wanted to say, for she remembered everything about her attacker's true identity. "I had almost forgotten about that. I was so often told about "The Sake" and "The Fox" that I had almost forgotten your names, for the names Hugo Salvatore and Richard Granger became synonymous with traitor!"

"I SUGGEST YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT GIRL!" Hugo displayed the same anger Nunnally showed him. "YOU KNOW NOTHING OF WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY, SO DO NOT SPEAK RICKY'S NAME LIKE YOU DO! YOU DON'T KNOW OF THE SUFFERING YOUR FATHER AND THE KING PUT US THROUGH!"

These were two conflicting arguments from two very different sides—the refugee noblewoman and the fugitive ex-soldier. Hugo claimed that Nunnally's father and his oldest friend, Dmitri Wallace, was the traitor, but from what Nunnally understood, it was the other way around.

The old story went that Hugo Salvatore and his fellow soldier, Richard Granger, were trusted military officers of Nunnally's father. For years, they served together, confided in each other, and treated each other like brothers. The bond between these three men was like no other and was deeply admired by many, but, one day, Hugo and Richard suddenly betrayed Dmitri. They gave away sensitive political and military information to their enemies, the countries of Desierto and Sin, and plotted to overthrow the King of the Pergrande Kingdom. Luckily, Dmitri realized their plan and stopped them before it was too late, but before they could face their sentence, the two traitors fled the country, and their whereabouts remained unknown—unknown until now.

Nunnally's tutors, the ones responsible for her education, deeply embedded this story into her mind. This was a means to keep the children of nobility loyal to their country and the crown, but there is a fine line between fact and fiction. The reason for Hugo's and Richard's betrayal and whether the details of this story were true or false is unknown, but one fact remained—the fact that Hugo and his comrade were seen as traitorous dogs in the eyes of the Pergrande Kingdom.

The two former Pergrandean's exchange continued on like this for several minutes. Nunnally probably shouldn't have displayed her dislike and anger towards Hugo the way she did, considering her current situation, but even though she was no longer in her home country, she still saw herself as part of the Pergrande Kingdom. The Grand Duke and his family may have disappeared, but the King of the Pergrande Kingdom, its rightful ruler, still lived. That is what Nunnally assumed at least. She hadn't heard any news about her home country in years—not since the day she left. She had no idea what her country's fate was after **that day**.

Meanwhile, as Nunnally and Hugo continued their verbal brawl, Laxus desperately continued his search for Nunnally. After last night's storm came in, he had no choice but to postpone his search. This, however, did not mean that the blonde man had a restful night. On the contrary, the worry left him awake most of the night, and the moment the rain ceased, Laxus immediately picked up from where he left off—the East Forest.

"Do you really think she's here?" Bickslow whispered over to Freed who appeared exhausted. The Thunder God Tribe got a lot more rest than Laxus did, but not by much. It also didn't help that Laxus woke them up in the early hours of the morning to continue their search.

"Be quiet will you!?" Evergreen harshly whispered at Bickslow before she worriedly looked over at Laxus. It was too late, though. Laxus heard Bickslow's words, and, although he appeared upset by them, he chose to ignore them.

"SHE'S HERE." Was all Laxus told them as he moved forward. Laxus was certain that Nunnally was **somewhere** in the East Forest, or, at least, that's what he tried to convince himself. The sad reality was that he wasn't even sure himself. He certainly caught on to her scent the previous night before, but after the storm washed away all traces of her, he wasn't so sure anymore. Thinking this, Laxus took a glance at the new coat he now wore as he remembered last night's events.

 _After the storm kicked in, Laxus and the others returned back to Freed's place for the night. Everyone had already changed out of their wet clothes and warmed themselves up—everyone except for Laxus._

 _With his eyes blankly set on the wooden floor, Laxus sat drenched in freezing water on a lone chair by the fireplace. While the others already dried themselves off, he didn't even bother to make any attempt to change or dry his clothes. After his… meltdown, Laxus remained oddly silent the entire way back. He didn't say a word or utter a sound, and a look of pure misery appeared on his face, and that look remained even when he entered Freed's warm home._

 _The Thunder God Tribe noticed this immediately and silently looked at each other as worry never left their faces. They rarely ever saw their leader so down, but, given the situation, it was understandable._

" _There must be something we can do." Freed quietly whispered to his comrades as he glanced over at Laxus._

 _Bickslow looked over at Laxus as well. "There's nothing we can do in this rain. It's freezing out there."_

 _Even though they whispered this, Laxus was enough to hear them, but he didn't say anything. None of them were sure if wasn't listening to a word they said or if he just didn't care. This worried Evergreen the most. Laxus wasn't himself and Nunnally was missing. She had hoped that this entire thing was just one big misunderstanding and that Nunnally was safe and sound in her dorm or the Guild Hall, but, of course, that wasn't the case. When they were out searching for their friend, Evergreen visited the dorms and guild on the off chance that she was there, but when no one saw her, she knew that she had to face the facts—kidnapped or not, Nunnally was missing, and no one saw where she went._

 _As Evergreen glanced over at Laxus, something, in the corner of her eye, caught her attention. Much to her surprise, Nunnally's gift to Laxus sat dry and intact on the kitchen table. Other than Nunnally and the tailor who made it, only Evergreen knew what was inside. Laxus hadn't even bothered to guess what it was and just set it on the table as he entered the apartment. Thinking this, Evergreen looked back at Laxus once more before making her way to the neatly-wrapped, brown package. As soon as she held it in her hands, she looked down at it with a small smile before heading over to Laxus._

" _You should at least open this." Evergreen softly began with a smile, catching the attention of her teammates. "She went through the trouble of having it specially made for you, after all."_

 _Laxus didn't look at her. He merely continued to look down at the floor as some water dripped down from his messy blonde hair._

 _As she realized that he wasn't planning to make any gesture to take the gift, Evergreen let out a sigh before the smile returned to her face. "Come on, don't be a child; just gratefully accept it. Nunnally will be the one to get made at me for letting you catch a cold or worse."_

 _Hearing the one-sided conversation, Freed made a move to step in and stop Evergreen from saying anything else before stopping himself as he noticed Laxus shift in his seat and take the gift with a pained expression._

" _We'll all look for Nunnally as soon as this rain lets up." Evergreen continued as she watched Laxus painfully glare down at the package in his hands before slowly tearing through the brown paper to reveal a soft, warm, black fabric. "Now get changed and dry off. The last thing you need is getting sick." She ordered before a small smirk appeared on her face. "Or is it that you want Nunnally to nurse you back to health?"_

 _Although she meant it as a joke, no one laughed. Laxus, however, did utter a small "thanks" to her before slowly rising from his seat and heading to the restroom to dry off. As Laxus left the room, Bickslow and Freed looked over at their female guildmate in awe before looking over at each other with a smile, grateful for Evergreen's quick thinking and way with words._

 _As soon as Laxus entered Freed's restroom, he placed Nunnally's partially unwrapped gift on the counter and began to strip. The entire time he did this, Laxus never took his eyes off the large gift. However, finished stripping down, Laxus tiredly proceeded to make his way to the wash area with a small wooden washbasin in hand._

 _As he sat on the shower stool, Laxus glared down at his faint reflection the drenched tile floor made as he slowly grabbed the water-filled basin. Raising it over his head, he let the wooden tub hover over his head for a few brief moments to glare down at his reflection once more before he opened his mouth. "I swear, I'll find you…" He painfully choked out before he finally poured the hot water and watched his own face disappear._

"I SWEAR, I'LL FIND YOU..." Laxus repeated with a determined glare as he gripped his arm to feel the warmth of the black fabric that hung over his shoulders. He didn't care if the others heard him. He needed to say it for himself, for if he didn't, he would doubt if he actually could find Nunnally.

As the four Wizards scoured the forest for their missing friend, Laxus caught a whiff of a familiar scent. His eyes widened as he wondered if his nose was playing tricks on him, but as he continued forward, he quickened his pace as the scent grew stronger. "OVER HERE!" He yelled out for his lagging guildmates to hear.

With the scent stronger than ever, Laxus quickly made his way over to its source, but the moment he drew near, he heard a girl's agonizing screams.

"But I didn't use Magic…" Nunnally's head violently quivered from the pain.

Hugo glared up at the noblewoman as he spoke. "Your insolence has grown tiresome."

The moment Laxus arrived, a horrified expression befell him as he saw his girlfriend's current state. He breathed rapidly as lightning began to spark out of him and his face contorted into an expression of pure rage, and it wasn't but a few seconds later that Laxus immediately charged at the unsuspecting man with full force. ""YOU BASTAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRD!" He yelled as he slugged Hugo square in the jaw, sending him flying several meters away.

Laxus' surprise attack, caught the ex-soldier completely off guard. He was so preoccupied with torturing Nunnally that he didn't sense anyone coming at him. "WHO THE HELL!?" Hugo yelled as he picked himself before setting his now dislocated jaw. For most people, doing something like that would've been beyond painful, but Hugo didn't even flinch.

With a violent and heated breath, Laxus was just about to let out another attack on Hugo until a familiar voice snapped him out of it.

"L-Laxus?" Nunnally called out with uncertainty as tears streamed down her face.

"Nunnally…" Laxus tenderly breathed in relief as he looked up at his girlfriend with a stern expression. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of there." He reassured her before giving Hugo a murderous glare and lunging at him once more. "BUT I'M FIRST GOING TO KILL THIS F****** BASTARD!"

Hugo gave Laxus the same look as he stopped Laxus' punch dead cold in a tight grip. "You think I'm going to be done in by some punk brat?" He asked Laxus before using his free hand to give the blonde a striking blow to the gut. "I'M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT THE HERCULEAN SCROLLS!"

In a normal situation, a blow like that would hardly tickle Laxus, but the situation was far from normal. Unbeknownst to him, Laxus was dealing with an ex-military officer from one of the most powerful nations in all of Ishgar, and this ex-officer's specialized in both hand-to-hand combat and the torture of war prisoners.

As Laxus was brutally knocked back, Nunnally and the just arriving Thunder God Tribe simultaneously called out his name in worry before looking over to each other in great surprise.

"MILADY!" Freed called out to Nunnally as Evergreen couldn't help but exclaim her shock at the scene.

"What the hell is this!?" Bickslow yelled.

Nunnally's golden eyes brimmed with tears at the sight of them. "Everyone…" She gave a pained smile, thankful for their arrival, before desperately motioning her head over to Laxus with a cry. "PLEASE! HELP LAXUS!"

Nunnally didn't have to tell them twice. That very instant, everyone in the Thunder God Tribe, stepped in front of Laxus in an attempt to protect him.

"Guys…" Laxus called out as he struggled to get up. "STAND BACK." That order alone normally would've been enough for them to obey, but the three didn't budge. "I SAID BACK OFF! I'M GOING TO KILL THIS BASTARD!"

"And watch you get knocked down again? Not happening." Evergreen stated as her harsh gaze never left Hugo.

"You're not in the right state a mind for a battle with someone like this, Laxus." Freed added, aware that Laxus will lose this battle if he didn't calm himself.

Just as Freed said that, Bickslow continued in his place as he glanced back to give Laxus a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, buddy. We got this."

"I should have taken her further from that pathetic town." Hugo muttered to himself as he glared at the three fresh faces before loudly calling out to them. "I wasn't aware Her Royal Highness had such allies—such nuisances…"

Evergreen's and Freed's faces suddenly contorted into looks of confusion before Freed opened his mouth. "Her Royal…"

"Highness?" Evergreen finished for him.

"This dude's a total sicko!" Bickslow suddenly exclaimed with a disturbed expression. "First, he ties her up. Now, he's calling her "Her Highness" like some kind of lap dog! That's a pretty messed up fetish!"

As soon as Bickslow said that, everyone grew quiet as they were unsure how to respond to him. Bickslow noticed this and frantically looked around everyone, who appeared mentally disturbed. Evergreen, however, broke this silence as she seemed just about ready to knock out her own teammate.

"NO ONE WAS THINKING THAT, YOU IDIOT!" She yelled in frustration as Nunnally looked down in shame. "WHAT THE HELL WOULD MAKE YOU THINK THAT!?"

"This country is full of oddities." Hugo muttered under his breath as he gave Bickslow a strange look.

Freed appeared just about ready to comment on that subject as well but remembered the true crisis at hand. "Putting that aside…"He cleared his throat before giving Hugo a stern expression. "For what reason did you kidnap Milady? Why did you refer to her as "Her Royal Highness?""

"Kids like you shouldn't get involved in another country's problems." Hugo merely replied. "You can have her corpse after I get the info I want."

Hugo's comment stunned everyone, but moreover, it enraged Laxus to the point where no one, not even his allies, could contain him. With this, Laxus charged past the Thunder God Tribe and toward Hugo with a lightning imbued strike.

"LAXUS!" The Thunder God Tribe yelled, but just as they did, Hugo once again stopped Laxus' attack with one hand as lightning began to spark out from his body as well.

"Well, this is a surprise…" Hugo casually remarked as he glanced at the fist that was in his hand. "I never thought I'd meet another lightning user with strength to match my own. Now…" He coldly glanced back at Laxus as his glare met his. "Would you like to see how your pathetic attack fares against real lightning?"

The Thunder God Tribe could not contain their shock as Hugo unleashed a more powerful lightning strike that sent the blonde Wizard flying.

Although Nunnally would have expressed concern as well, she barely paid any attention to the violent battle, for something strange occurred inside her body. "What is this…" Nunnally whispered as her eyes laid wide open and a cold sweat trickled down her face. 'My heart… My heart….' She mentally repeated as felt her own heart beat more and more rapidly every passing second. 'My heart… It feels… like… it's going to explode.' She thought, and as she thought this, she felt everything else around her come to a slow halt. Never before, in her entire life, had Nunnally felt this way. It was a feeling like no other, and it was absolutely terrifying.

"YOU WANT TO SEE REAL LIGHTNING!?" Laxus violently yelled as he picked himself up before taking in a deep, wild breath. "LIGHTNING DRAGON -"

"LAXUS! YOU MUSTN'T USE THAT SPELL!" Freed yelled back at him, but it was too late.

"- ROOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!"

As soon as he yelled that, a concentrated beam of pure lightning shot out of his mouth and headed straight for Hugo, however, after expressing an initial shock, Hugo managed to move out of the way at the last second.

With a heavy breath, Hugo rested on his knee as he struggled to get up. 'How is this possible?' He thought with a beaded sweat as he glared at the heavily damaged area that got hit instead. 'Has Fiore always had Wizards like this?' Hugo was well aware what kind of Magic Laxus used—Dragon Slayer Magic. What he wasn't aware of, however, was that there were people who were able to use it. Dragon Slayer Magic was Lost Magic, and, in the Pergrande Kingdom as well as other Eastern countries, it was nonexistent, but Laxus was able to use it. This made Hugo wonder if Fiore harbored other Wizards like him, and, if it did, that would mean that Fiore could become a potential threat.

As Hugo picked himself up, he never took his eyes off Laxus. He was now aware that he put himself at a disadvantage by edging the young Dragon Slayer on. Being a lighting user himself, it would be useless for him to use his Magic on the blonde man. 'Dragon Slayer Magic….' He thought with a sharp glare. From the stories the aging man heard, Wizards with this kind of Magic are immune to the effects of their own element and could even consume it as a fuel source. This meant that Hugo couldn't use Lightning Magic without it backfiring on him. 'Didn't think I'd have to fight bare-fisted at my age…' He may have specialized in hand-to-hand combat, but Hugo was already well past his prime and nearing 60, so considering his age, a fist-fight wasn't ideal.

Just as Hugo readied himself to fight, Laxus rushed at him once again. "LIGHTNING DRAGON IRON FIST!" He yelled as Hugo simultaneously threw a powerful swing towards the Dragon Slayer.

Both men made contact with each other's heads with mighty blows, but they continued their raging battle of fists as the Thunder God Tribe helplessly watched. There was nothing that could stop these two from killing each other, and the three Wizards knew this—that was what thought until Bickslow noticed something when he glanced up at Nunnally's positon.

"What the hell!" He yelled.

As soon as Freed heard this, he turned his head towards Nunnally and his eyes grew wide with shock before he immediately turned it over to the clashing men. "LAXUUUUUS!" He yelled as Laxus unleashed the Lightning Dragon's Jaw on Hugo with both grip-locked fists smashing over his head, completely knocking the ex-soldier down.

With Hugo down, Laxus stood over his still and unmoving body with a frightening, murderous expression as he tried to calm his violent breaths from the intense adrenaline rush. Just as he did this, though, Evergreen let out a shriek, causing the blonde-haired man to turn his head to her.

"NUNNAAAAAAAAAALLLY!" The bespectacled Mage screamed.

As everyone gasped, Laxus slowly turned his head to where Nunnally was before his eyes grew wide with fear.

The crystal structure that imprisoned her fractured and the threads that held her wrists and ankles quickly came undone. Before anyone realized what was happening, they watched the imprisonment shatter and collapse as Nunnally's body plummeted down from the great height.

Just as everyone came to their senses, they saw Nunnally's body come into contact with the snow-covered ground. The Thunder God Tribe then immediately rushed over to Nunnally's lifeless body as Laxus stood frozen from shock. It took him a minute longer to realize what happened and when he did, he slowly and cautiously made his way over to the others.

As he finally made his way to them, he saw Freed inspecting her body for injuries. However, when the green-haired man noticed her still body and absence of breath, he immediately checked her wrist for a pulse and let out a small, almost undetectable gasp before he unbuttoned the bodice of her dress and rested his ear against her chest. He waited for a few moments, but Freed's quickly eyes grew wide and everyone looked pale as Laxus felt his heart sink as they heard Freed's words.

"I…." He choked. "I can't hear her heartbeat…"

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys, sorry for the late update. It was A LOT harder to write this than I thought. There's a lot of information here, so if got confusing, just message me or comment and I'll try to clear things up.**

 **Sorry about that ending too.**

 **See you next time!**


	24. Chapter 24: Revelations

**Nunnally Wallace: The Plant Mage of Fairy Tail**

 **Chapter 24: Revelations**

* * *

"I…." Freed choked. "I can't hear her heartbeat…"

For a few moments, no one said anything because none of them could believe it. Everyone simply stared at the lifeless girl's body with heartbreaking expressions of shock before Evergreen finally collapsed to her knees beside Nunnally's body with streaming tears.

"You're lying…" Evergreen gasped as she tried to keep calm before nudging her best friend's corpse. "Come on, Nunnally!" She desperately cried with a smile as more and more tears formed. "You were so excited about your date, so wake up! Wake up and tell Laxus you're okay! Please wake up… Please…"

As she denied the fact that Nunnally was dead, Freed attempted to make her believe his words, but she just couldn't. Evergreen refused to believe it; she refused to believe that her best friend, in the whole wide world, was actually dead. Just yesterday, she and Nunnally chatted like any other day before the Plant Mage went out for her date. There was nothing, nothing in the entire world, that could have led her to believe something like this would happen.

Bickslow did not handle this sudden news well either. He didn't say a word as he used all his strength to keep himself from sobbing, but no matter what he did, his tears fell without any restraint. They poured out of him without consent, and, despite him wearing a mask, the Seith Mage shielded his eyes with his large hand as if to hide the evidence. Like Evergreen, Nunnally was as important to him as she was to her. Before he got to know her, the tall man had always thought that she was just some pretty nature-freak and always made some perverted statement whenever she was mentioned, but as they gradually became friends, he saw her for the sweet girl she was and because of that... he admired her.

Despite seeing his two friends shed tears of grief and sorrow, Freed did his best to keep himself from crying as Bickslow tried to do. He refused to cry when the rest of the Thunder God Tribe was so vulnerable. He felt he needed to stay strong for them, for, at that moment, he was the only pillar of support they had, but more importantly, Freed refused to cry because he knew there was someone else hurting more than any of them, and he confirmed this when he glanced back at Laxus who appeared like he would breakdown at any moment.

As Freed looked back at Laxus, he saw that the blonde man's look of shock never left his face. Laxus didn't understand what happened and everyone and every sound seemed clouded and muffled as his mind could only focus on the sight right in front of him—Nunnally's, his love's, lifeless form.

Laxus continued to look on at Nunnally in complete and utter shock until, suddenly, all the strength in him gave out, and he collapsed down to his knees. He didn't cry or make a sound, for he felt that everything must have been no more than a bad dream that he desperately wanted to wake up from. Laxus' silence, however, didn't last long as only thoughts of her and the memories they shared together flooded his mind, and, before he knew it, the once powerful man, broke down as he cried out her name in complete despair. "NUNNNNNAAALLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

As Laxus finally let out his suppressed feelings, his cries came to a sudden halt as he heard a familiar voice echo behind him.

"So the Grand Duchess is finally dead?"

Those words made everyone's tears cease completely as they froze in place.

Hugo, who had been knocked out by Laxus just minutes before, quickly regained consciousness and awoke to see Nunnally's still corpse. "Now I can finally find out where she hid the Herculean Scrolls…" He struggled to pick himself up before he slowly made his way towards the dead girl's body.

As Laxus still sat frozen and heard Hugo's agonizing steps drawing nearer and nearer, all of Laxus' sorrow immediately vanished. With every step echoing loudly in his ears, the Dragon Slayer shook in place as a bloodthirsty rage slowly consumed him. Laxus had never before felt this kind of emotion in his entire life, but he did not reject it as he felt his own body grow noticeably larger and his canines slowly emerge. This was the first time ever fully activated the Dragon Lacrima inside him…

With the Lacrima inside him fully activated, Laxus could contain his wrath no longer as he quickly arose and rushed towards Hugo with full fury. Meanwhile, the Thunder God Tribe could not suppress their frightened looks of horror as they witnessed Laxus' relentless attacks on Hugo. They all saw that the old soldier barely held his ground against Laxus, for it was as if their leader morphed into one the monstrous beasts of legend—a dragon.

In a trance-like fury, Laxus barraged Hugo with multiple Dragon Slayer techniques and showed no intention of stopping until the murderer suffered a worse fate than he dealt on the young Plant Mage.

"Have you completely turned into a monster!?" Hugo yelled in anger as he dodged the Dragon Slayer's strike before lunging forward with his own. This counterattack, however, deemed itself useless as Laxus instantaneously appeared behind the ex-officer with his lightning body and struck Hugo with the Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist before immediately following it with a violent, deep breath to unleash his Lightning Dragon's Roar.

These powerful attacks left the aging man weakened and paralyzed as he struggled to keep himself upright. As he fell to one knee, Hugo glared at Laxus who marched towards him with a frightening and murderous look. Just as he was about to prepare himself for another attack, something behind the apparent blonde beast caught Hugo's attention before his eyes grew wide in disbelief and horror. "How is this possible?" He trembled slightly.

Laxus paid no heed to his words as he slowly made his way towards the foreign soldier with the intention of delivering the finishing blow, and it was just as Laxus was about to deliver that final blow that he immediately snapped out of his trance and froze with a trembling raised fist, for he felt a familiar presence not too far behind him arise.

With gasps of fear and disbelief behind him, Laxus slowly turned his head towards the others with wide eyes to see a small, familiar body slowly sit herself up before a whole new emotion quickly took hold of him. "Nunnally…"

"How are you alive!?" Hugo angrily asked with a nervous expression of panic. He couldn't believe it… The girl he believed to be Abelia Wallace was alive.

"Curious, isn't it?" Nunnally smiled as her eyes gave him a sharp glare. "How effective a little stage acting and plant toxin can be."

"WHAT!?" Hugo expressed his anger as he did not understand her words. His spell was supposed to have killed her, so how did she survive?

The Thunder God Tribe shook in disbelief. They didn't know what to make of the situation at all. Just as Hugo did, everyone thought that she was dead, but before their eyes, Nunnally sat up alive and well—or that is what they believed they saw. The overwhelming emotions they felt made them blind to Nunnally's true state. She may have been alive, but it was obvious that she was not well as her face dripped in sweat and body involuntarily trembled.

"Nunnally?" The Plant Mage heard a woman's trembling voice right beside her—it was Evergreen. The self-proclaimed "Queen of the Fairies" knelt beside her as she simply stared at Nunnally, her best friend, as if she had seen a ghost. Her eyes were puffed red, and her cheeks and glasses were completely stained with tears. "Are-" She choked as she felt more tears coming on. "Are you really alive?"

Nunnally couldn't help but open her mouth to breathe in a breath of overwhelming air before she immediately gave her friend a grand hug. "I'm sorry for frightening you…" Nunnally softly apologized as she closed her eyes. "And I'm sorry for what you're about to see…" Just as Evergreen was about to ask her what she meant by that, Nunnally released her best friend from her tight embrace before slowly rising with unsteady legs.

Ignoring her friends' questions, Nunnally turned towards Laxus' and Hugo's direction.

"Plant's really are amazing, aren't they?" She slowly made her way towards them with a smile as her eyes glared at her attacker. "Some are sweet, some are bitter, some can heal you when you're down, and some can can even slow down your heart's rate to where not even Magic can detect it." She revealed.

"WHAT!?" Hugo glared at her as his body was still weakened.

"I really love plants." Nunnally continued as she avoided Laxus gaze of disbelief and calmly kept her eyes on Hugo. "I even have two hobbies with them that I take great of pride in." She said as he raised her right index finger. "My first hobby is Aromatherapy, and my second hobby is…" The plant loving Mage then raised a second finger. "Poison Making…"

When Nunnally said that, Hugo couldn't suppress his shock. "YOU POISONED YOURSELF!?" The gray-haired man asked. "BUT YOU WERE TIED UP THE ENTIRE TIME! WHEN DID YOU-"

Nunnally's calm gaze didn't waver as she answered him. "Even more curious, isn't it?" She stated as she remembered the unnatural strength that came to her while she was imprisoned. "Perhaps it was a blessing from the gods…" Nunnally ominously began to answer as she gave him a hard glare. "OR PERHAPS IT WAS MY WILL TO PUNISH THE TRAITOR TO MY KINGDOM!"

As Nunnally angrily yelled that, vines suddenly emerged from the snow-covered earth beneath Hugo's feet and constrained his entire body in an almost crushing grip as sharp thorn-like climbing plants made their way to pierce the traitor before they suddenly paused midway.

"I've honestly answered your questions…" Nunnally continued to glare at him as she felt that the poison in her system began to weaken her body. "NOW YOU WILL HONESTLY ANSWER MINE."

The Thunder God Tribe and Laxus looked at Nunnally in complete and utter shock. They were already overwhelmed with the fact that Nunnally was still alive, but now they saw a new side of her that even Laxus didn't know about. The blonde man had seen her anger on a few occasions such as when they went on their first mission together and when they battled Nyx, but this was completely different.

Hugo returned her hard glare "So now that you've become Grand Duchess, Abelia, you've decided to-"

"SILENCE!" Nunnally harshly commanded. "I have told you plenty of times. Do not speak that name, traitor! I am not Abelia!"

"You expect me to believe that!?" Hugo angrily asked. "I've thoroughly done my research!"

"Then you were thoroughly wrong! I am not Abelia!" Nunnally repeated before she raised right arm parallel to the ground to exhibit grace. "I AM NUNNALLY WALLACE—THE CURRENT GRAND DUCHESS TO THE PERGANDE KINGDOM AS WELL AS THE FOURTH CHILD AND SECOND DAUGHTER TO THE PREVIOUS GRAND DUKE, DMITRI WALLACE!"

Never before had Nunnally felt so powerful as she partially repeated the self-introduction she was taught to say as a child. There was something about saying it that gave the Plant Mage a sense of confidence that she never experienced, and it showed as she put up a cold air of superiority to her attacker.

"THE YOUNGER SISTER!?" Hugo's eyes grew wide in shock as he realized that she was telling him the truth, for he finally saw that Nunnally was too young to be Abelia.

Hugo was not alone in his surprise with this new revelation. Everyone, including Laxus, was surprised. Nunnally had never revealed any details of her past to anyone, but they never expected something like this. Laxus was probably the most astonished of them all, for he was her boyfriend, yet she rarely confided in him.

"You've upset me greatly, Snake." Nunnally gave Hugo another glare as she tried to avoid her friends' stares. "You ruined my date with Laxus, kidnapped me, and tried to kill me! But worst of all…" She trailed off as she tried clenched her first in anger. "You've made all my friends worried sick about me."

Nunnally angrily looked away as she held in her tears. All the young Mage wanted was to go on her date with Laxus. She never meant to worry anyone, but she just had to get kidnapped by a mad and traitorous snake. Hugo was to blame for all her problems. He was the one who forced her to ingest her own toxin, and he was the one who forced to reveal who she was in front of everyone. There was no doubt in her mind that would she have to explain **everything** to them later.

As she quivered from both anger and the effects of the toxin she ingested, Nunnally immediately shook her head to calm her nerves before cooly looking back at Hugo. "Hugo Salvatore." She powerfully stated with a hard glare. "You have committed crimes against both the Pergrande Kingdom and the Royal Family as well as made an attempt at my life—the Grand Duchess. Are you aware of what the punishment for treason in the Pergrande Kingdom is?" Nunnally asked as the thorn-like vines still hovered in the air between the two Pergrandeans before they swiftly made their way towards the criminal.

As he realized what was about to happen, Hugo immediately shut his eyes as he waited for the sharp plants to pierce his restrained body, and he kept waiting until he realized that nothing happened. With this realization, Hugo quickly opened his eyes to see that the sharp vines were but centimeters from his skin.

"But we're not in the Pergrande Kingdom anymore now, are we?" Nunnally softly asked as she looked down with a look full of sorrow. All her confidence was now gone, and she suddenly felt weak again.

Hugo couldn't help but express his surprise at the young Grand Duchess' mercy, for he didn't understand it until Nunnally calmly lifted her head back at him with a completely unreadable expression.

"I live in Fiore now, so I will respect and abide by the Kingdom of Fiore's laws. I will not kill you, Hugo." She announced with unwavering eyes.

"Milady…" Freed trailed off in a whisper as he stared at Nunnally's back.

Everyone looked at the young noble with wide eyes. No one expected for things to turn out this way. All they could do was stand back, for they felt like they no longer knew how to approach their friend, and it was just as they did this that Nunnally turned around to look to all her friends. She took a good look at Evergreen, Freed, and Bickslow before looking over to Laxus, who now stood nearby the others, with a longing expression.

"My home is no longer the Pergrande Kingdom!" She declared for everyone to hear as she felt a few tears form. "MY HOME IS FAIRY TAIL!"

Evergreen and Bickslow gave joyed smiles at her words while both Freed's and Laxus' eyes still lied wide open from surprise. Just as Nunnally was about to smile back at them, she suddenly heard the man behind her give an audible chuckle.

"While that's all said and good, Your Royal Highness," Hugo gave Nunnally a mocking smile as she glared back at him. "Are you really going to abandon your country given its current state?"

Nunnally slowly turned back to the fugitive as she tried to make sense of his words. "What… do you mean?" She gave him a serious look as she asked this, for the young Wizard didn't understand his ominous words.

"Come closer, and I'll gladly tell you." Hugo politely asked as his taunting smile never left him. "This isn't something for outsiders like them to hear."

Nunnally didn't say anything as glared at the Snake for what felt like the longest time before she slowly and cautiously made her way towards him. The moment she was close enough to him, Hugo urged her to lean closer, and as she reluctantly did, he whispered something into her ear. However, the moment he told the Grand Duchess what wanted, Nunnally's eyes immediately grew wide from shock as she quickly backed away from the criminal and angrily lifted her arm to her plants. With that motion, the young Wizard's vines quickly crushed Hugo as he gasped for air until he completely fainted.

Even after Hugo passed out, Nunnally kept her arm up as she heaved deep breaths before collapsing to her knees. Hugo revealed something to her about the Pergrande Kingdom—something she wished she didn't hear.

Just as Nunnally tired to process Hugo's words, someone called out to her.

"Nunnally!" Evergreen worriedly called out as she and Bickslow rushed over to her side with Freed slowly making his way over and Laxus nervously frozen in place.

"You okay?" Bickslow gently asked with both him and Evergreen knelt down by her side.

In response, Nunnally gave him a small, anxious nod before the two Wizards helped her up, and after Nunnally was finally able to stand on her own, she remembered something very important. "Laxus…" She turned to the blonde man who was only a couple meters from where she stood. The two stared at each for what felt like an eternity. Neither of them made a move, but as Nunnally stared at him in a complete daze, she suddenly found herself in a tight embrace. This sudden hug immediately snapped the Plant Mage back to reality and she quickly looked up at the person who held her.

"Why do you always have to do this?" Laxus roughly whispered as he held her tighter and tighter in his arms. "I thought I lost you again..."

As Nunnally's face was buried deep in chest, she could feel his body shake. 'Laxus…' She thought before she slowly wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry I worried you..." She whispered as she felt like she was about to cry, but just as her tears were about to fall, Nunnally realized something and pulled out of her lover's embrace. "That coat…" Nunnally studied Laxus more closely as she realized that he was wearing the coat that she planned to give him on his shoulders. "But how?" She looked up at him in surprise. "I thought it was lost."

"Oh yeah…" With an awkward expression, Laxus rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced at the fabric on his shoulders. "Sorry about that… 'guess I already got it dirty." He apologized, noticing the few wet spots on it from some melted snow. It was as Laxus did this, that he remembered something. He and the Thunder God Tribe spent the entire night, warm in Freed's home, but Nunnally… Laxus realized that Nunnally was out in the cold this whole time. With that, he immediately removed the warm fabric from him and wrapped the young Plant Mage in it instead. "You're cold, right?"

Just as she realized what he did, Nunnally frantically opened her mouth. "N-No, that's not what I-"

"Milady..." Freed suddenly interrupted the two lover's blissful moment with a stern expression. It was obvious that Laxus' most loyal follower was not happy with her all. "You've worried all of us…"

"HEY FREED..." Laxus glared at his friend. He just wanted to put this whole mess behind them, and he didn't like the way Freed looked at his girlfriend.

Just as Laxus was about to chew Freed out for his attitude, Nunnally immediately grabbed his arm in an attempt to stop him as her free hand tightly clenched the black fabric that now looked more like a large cloak on her tiny form. "It's fine, Laxus." She reassured him before calmly turning towards Freed. "I'm sorry… I never meant to worry any of you."

Freed didn't say anything for a few moments as he clenched his quivering hands from anger. He was upset, and he had every right to be. He was upset that Nunnally never confided in any of them about her past; he was upset that she poisoned herself, but, most of all, Freed was upset because Nunnally made Laxus worried sick about her and almost hurt him because of that. " **Why** did you do that?" He tried to keep calm as he referred to Nunnally poisoning herself. " **Why** would you do something like that?"

Nunnally didn't make any excuses as she averted her eyes in shame. "I'm sorry…"

"TELL US" Freed sternly ordered, for the green-haired man refused to accept her apology until she gave them a proper explanation.

After Freed said that, Nunnally quickly glanced back at Laxus before glancing back Evergreen and Bickslow. The all appeared nervous by Freed's sudden temper which wasn't a surprise. He was thought to be the most level-headed and patient out of all of them, so seeing him so upset at one of his friends made the others pretty anxious.

As she finished observing her friend's expressions, Nunnally looked back at Freed and apologized once more. "I didn't know where I was—much less if any of you would come for me." She began before looking down in shame. "All I could think about was escaping, and I was willing to do whatever I needed to make that happen."

"So you thought that poisoning yourself would do that, Milady?" Freed questioned as everyone else kept silence. He didn't understand Nunnally's way of thinking, for the whole thing seemed absurd to him.

"If I hadn't, I'd surely be dead." Nunnally continued. "Whatever it was that Hugo used, it was meant to kill me. He called it… "Imprisonment Magic."" Everyone around her looked stunned by her words. "I found out that it was developed in the Pergrande Kingdom—the country that I—that **we** hail from." She corrected herself. "From what I understood, that Magic is meant for interrogation. Whether I gave him the information he wanted by my own free will or not didn't matter. It was going to drain me of everything I knew, of all the secrets I had…. until there was nothing left…" She gave a pained expression as she remembered Hugo's words.

Freed continued to glare at Nunnally, for he still did not understand something. "I do not understand, Milady. How would that kill you?"

"I did not ask him many questions, but that traitor was **courteous** enough to tell me one more about it, though." Nunnally calmly responded with a slightly sarcastic tone to her voice. ""The moment your heart stops beating, the spell will be broken." Those were the words he used." She answered. "That's why I poisoned myself—to feign death before I actually did, and I did it-" Nunnally pulled a small folded piece of parchment from her sleeve and opened it. "By using this."

"A seed?" Bickslow questioned as he leaned in for a closer look and saw, in the center of the paper, three tiny, black seeds.

"They look like…" Evergreen adjusted her glasses as she leaned in as well. "Poppy seeds?"

"They do, don't they?" Nunnally responded as she appeared slightly worried by Evergreen's comparison. "But I do not believe that you would want these in your food—just one is enough to kill a grown adult within hours."

The second Nunnally said that, Evergreen and Bickslow immediately back away from her hand. "Those tiny things can kill someone!?" Evergreen exclaimed in panic as she stared at the tiny seeds that were probably no more than a millimeter in diameter. "What the heck are you doing with that then!?"

Hearing this, Nunnally suddenly forced smile as she appeared bothered by her best friend's words. "I'm not sure what you're implying, Evergreen, but these are the seeds from a new **plant** I cultivated!"

"But how are you not dead!?" Bickslow immediately asked. "If you took one of them, then you should be dead, right?" He continued before Evergreen quickly smacked his arm for his tactless words.

"Well, I managed to only take about half of one—that was enough to slow my heart rate." Nunnally replied with uncertainty. She did try to take no more than half of the black seed when she took it, but given the position she was in, she wasn't exactly sure how much she bit into.

"But are you going to be okay, though?" Laxus asked as he looked down at her in worry. "You still swallowed poison."

Nunnally didn't respond for a few seconds as she wondered if she **was** alright. She noticed that she was no longer sweating or shaking and nothing felt wrong with her heart at the moment, so she must have gotten it out of her system. She must have been safe now, right? Thinking that, Nunnally looked back up at her boyfriend with a reassuring smile. "I'm alive now, aren't I?" She finally replied before continuing. "And I realize that I've worried you by telling you all that my interests are in poison making, but that isn't entirely true."

"I do not understand." Freed replied, showing his curiosity. He no longer held any anger towards Nunnally's actions as her previous explanation was enough to calm him.

Nunnally looked back at him with a nervous expression. "Rather than poison, I prefer making their antidotes." Her words came as a bit of a shock to the others, but they let her continue. "I first started-" She paused to find the right word. " **-my hobby** a few years ago. It was simple at first, honest. I took several well-known toxic plants and figured out how to counter their effects, but…" She paused once more as she suddenly felt embarrassed by her **interests**. "The more I did that, the more I enjoyed it—until I eventually ran out of toxins I could work with."

It was then that Nunnally began to explain how she started developing toxins and other poisons. She recounted the time when she watered a new hybrid plant she cultivated. At first, she thought it was completely harmless, considering that it was just a flowering plant, but when she discovered a few dead birds beside it as well as several seeds that belonged to her creation alongside the animals, Nunnally immediately knew that they were toxic. Not wanting any other animals to get hurt, she ended up collecting all the seeds from the flowering plant and, well, everyone pretty much guessed what happened after that.

"Honestly, we've got to get you a new hobby…" Evergreen responded to Nunnally's story with a disagreeable look before her expression turned into one of worry. "But you poisoned yourself because you were kidnapped by that lunatic. " She nervously glanced back at an unconscious Hugo as she was still rattled by the whole ordeal. "What information could he have wanted from you?"

Nunnally looked at Evergreen with a sorrowful look as she remembered how much her friend cried for her before averting her eyes at the memory. "I'm honestly not sure myself." She explained. "He kept repeating something about "Herculean Magic" and the "Herculean Scrolls," but I don't know anything about that. Also…" Nunnally's expression turned dark. "He thought I was Abeila…"

"Abelia?" Laxus questioned.

Nunnally didn't look at him as she felt her body grow cold at the mention of that name. "My elder sister…" Nunnally paused with another pained expression before calming herself. "But she's been long dead… I don't understand how Hugo could think I was her. She was only 13 when she died. Why would… Why would she have known anything about those scrolls?" Nunnally thought aloud, for she realized that it didn't really matter if she kept it to herself.

"I thought your **little** sister died…" Laxus subconsciously said before he realized what he had done.

Nunnally along with the others quickly looked at Laxus in complete shock. "How do you…" The 17-year-old couldn't help but feel overwhelmed as she tried to figure out how Laxus could have known that. The only person she ever told about Sofia, her little sister, was Mirajane, and she definitely knew that Laxus wasn't the type to have a casual conversation with her—especially about something like that.

Just as the Plant Mage tried to figure this out, a sudden, tired feeling of defeat quickly overtook her. It suddenly seemed pointless to keep her past a secret anymore. They already found out about her being the Grand Duchess of a foreign country, and, in all honestly, Nunnally was exhausted from keeping her past to herself for so long. It definitely hurt her, but she wondered if the pain would hurt less she told her closest friends. With this thought, Nunnally looked up at everyone with the most heartbreaking expression they ever saw on her. "Can I trust you all?" She asked, and just as everyone was about to give an immediate and reassuring nod, she spoke again with a sterner tone. "Can I trust you to tell you about the tragedy that befell upon the Pergrande Kingdom ten years ago?"

Unlike before, everyone now appeared more doubtful and reluctant to answer.

'The tragedy?' Laxus thought as he glared down at the ground. He wondered if he actually wanted to hear something that hurt the woman he loved so much. If it hurt her too much to tell them, then he didn't want to force her to say it. He was just glad Nunnally was safe. He felt he didn't need to hear it, but just as he felt this, he looked up and saw that Nunnally intently and earnestly gazed at him as if he were the only person in the world. It then that he wondered if he was really okay with Nunnally not telling him. She already knew plenty about his past, but he knew nothing about hers. Was it really fair to keep it that way? Just as he thought this, Laxus gave her the same earnest expression before he finally opened his mouth and solemnly answered. "I want to hear it."

His words pierced Nunnally like a sharp blade, and she began to lose her nerve as she tried to find the right words. It wasn't until a few moments later that Nunnally calmed herself enough begin her tragic tale of woe. "It happened ten years ago…" She began as she thought the awful incident, and everyone solemnly looked at Nunnally, patiently waiting to hear her story. "I was only 7-years-old at the time, but..." She forced a smile while her eyes did not. "I remember it as if it were yesterday…"

With that, Nunnally revealed everything she remembered to her most trusted friends. She told them all about the mysterious, cloaked woman, the mirror, and the aftermath of the mass-slaughter as everyone, including Laxus, gave her unsettled expressions of shaken discomfort, and it was then that Nunnally had to explain what she did after she found everyone she cared about lying dead.

"Everyone…" Her tears fell as she felt it grow harder to continue. "Everyone… Mother, Father, Grandfather, all of my brothers and sisters—even the servants…" She choked on her words. "They were all dead and there was so much blood… so much…" She quivered. "I thought I would drown in it!" Nunnally cried before she collapsed to her knees and tightened the hold of Laxus' coat around her. Laxus immediately knelt beside her in a desperate attempt to comfort her, but she didn't pay him any attention. "I-I didn't know what do..." She quivered as her words gradually became more and more incomprehensible from tears. "Days went by, and no one else was around. I couldn't just leave them there—not like that…" It was then, that Nunnally revealed something she did that no child should have ever been subjected to. "That scent… that putrid scent…" She repeated with disgust as she remembered the rancid scent of all the rotting flesh and heaps of dried blood on the walls and floors. It was a horrible slaughter, and the memory proved itself to be too much for young Wizard to handle as she felt herself gag before immediately covering her mouth. "Their bodies were already rotting, so I had to do it… I had to bury them myself…"

Nunnally looked just about ready to completely break down in tears as she told them all the painful things she held in for ten years. Knowing that she couldn't take anymore, Laxus immediately held Nunnally in his arms, and it was then that the 17-year-old girl let out ten years worth of tears and bawled in her lover's arms like a small child.

It took what felt like hours for Nunnally to calm down. Never before had Nunnally Wallace revealed so much about herself, and although it was mostly of tragic things, it felt good for the teenage girl to finally say it—to say all the things she kept to herself.

As Nunnally continued to silently cry in Laxus' arms, Freed knelt down with an apologetic face. "Milady, no I mean- Your Royal Highness…" He corrected himself as he remembered who Nunnally was.

Hearing her title, Nunnally slightly pulled away from Laxus' embrace to reveal her red, puffed eyes and tear stained cheeks. "Please do not call me by those foul words." Nunnally quietly asked, for it upset her to called by her title.

"But you're an actual princess…" Bickslow interrupted as he remembered that was the Plant Mage was sometimes compared to one because of her elegant, ladylike manner and calm personality.

Bickslow's words upset Nunnally even more as she frowned. "I was never a princess, and I am only Grand Duchess by name." Her unhappy expression remained as she tried to suppress more tears.

Laxus didn't like seeing Nunnally like this—in fact, he hated it. He could honestly say, at this point, that she was his favorite person, and it upset him to see the girl he loved so sad.

"Can you two back off?" Laxus glared at the two men with his arms still around Nunnally. "You're upsetting her even more."

"Honestly…" Evergreen added with a sigh before glaring at her two teammates. "Even if we know who her family is, she's not any different than who she was yesterday—just call like you've always had!" She chewed them out before turning her head over to her best friend with a soft smile. "Right, Nunnally?"

Evergreen's words immediately made Nunnally want to cry again, but she held them in as she gave the bespectacled girl a big and thankful nod.

Freed gave Nunnally another apologetic look as he frowned. "I'm sorry, Milady." He guiltily said. "I did not mean to upset you. I can't imagine your pain. Just who would do such a thing?" He thought aloud.

Nunnally didn't respond for a while as she tightly gripped Laxus shirt, but then, almost suddenly, the teenage girl answered him. "I don't know…" She quivered again, but this time in anger. "I lost consciousness when it happened only to wake up to that… that Hell…"

Freed apologized again but didn't say anything after that. He was ashamed for the way he acted before and his lack of tact. Nunnally did what to did to stay alive, and he didn't blame her for it.

It was but a few minutes later that Laxus finally released his girlfriend and leaned down to take a good look at her. "Think you'll be alright to walk now?" He asked as he figured that it was probably best for them to head back home.

Nunnally gave him a small before the blonde-haired man carefully helped her to her feet.

"We'll head back and tell the army about this guy." Bickslow casually announced with his usual smile as he pointed his thumb back at the tied up Hugo. "You two just rest up at home."

"I'll personally make sure this guy gets what he deserves!" Evergreen continued as she gave them an evil smirk.

As she held onto Laxus' arm, Nunnally looked over to her two friends with a small smile as they acted like their usual happy and carefree selfs, and it was as she watched them, that Nunnally felt truly blessed. Despite the suffering she underwent, somehow, she was fortunate enough to have to have caring friends and a loving man by her side. For this, she was beyond thankful… She knew of the pain her thoughtless and reckless actions caused them, and she hoped that she would never have to make them go through that ever again. With that last silent prayer of thanks, Nunnally felt something strange happen to her body as she suddenly grabbed her chest and gasped in great pain.

"Nunnally!" Evergreen yelled as she witnessed her friend fall to her knees with one arm still desperately clinging on to Laxus.

"NUNNALLY!" Laxus shouted as the girl continued to gasp in pain. "WHAT'S WRONG!? NUNNALLY!"

Everyone panicked as they watched the Plant Mage fall to the ground in excruciating pain. None of them knew what was happening as she appeared physically, if not mentally, fine until just a few seconds, and as they all tried to assist they young Mage, Nunnally stretched out her arm past them as she desperately attempted to stand. "P-Poison… My-My bag…" She struggled to tell them as she remembered that Hugo kept her purse with him after he kidnapped her. "T-The… an…ti…dote…"

The second she heard her say that, Evergreen immediately lifted her head to scan the area for her bag, and once she spotted the small item, she swiftly made her way to it and gave it to the Plant Mage. "Here!" She frantically passed it over.

With that, Nunnally quickly forced herself to bear through the pain and sit up as she shakingly searched her bag, until she pulled out a small vial filled with clear liquid and what appeared to be a sharp syringe. Laxus could only watch the woman he loved empty the vial's contents into the tool with trembling hands as he didn't know what to do for her. Before he could processes what was happening, Nunnally struggled to unbutton the top of the dress she mistakenly chose to close after she awoke, and it was then that, in one swift move, Nunnally brought the needle to her chest and stabbed it right through her skin before letting out one great final gasp. The pain from the gesture hurt, but not anywhere near as much as what the plant toxin inside her was doing to her body.

"NUNNALLY!"

"MILADY!"

All of her friends continuously cried out her name in worry, but as she sat there in a complete daze her mind barely registered their voices. 'I underestimated it…' She thought in a dizzying exhaustion before her body slowly began to topple over. 'I guess… I still have… a lot to learn….' Was her final thought as her body roughly made contact with the burning cold snow.

"NUNNNNNALLLLYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

After Nunnally collapsed that day, Laxus and Evergreen checked her into Magnolia Hospital and both Freed and Bickslow turned Hugo over to the Magic Council. The Thunder God Tribe and especially Laxus worried about their dear friend's critical condition. None of them knew what the effects of the toxin she ingested were nor what its antidote was. All they could do was patiently hope that the little antidote she took was enough to save her and wait for her condition to improve. However, in spite of their hope, the young wizard remained unconscious, and, a few days later, slipped into a deep coma that she did not wake up from until the spring of the following year—the spring of the year X783.

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

 _ **In the Next Arc...**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey, guys! I just wanted to say thanks for putting up with my unpredictable updates. You guys have been great, and although I wasn't sure how this chapter turned out, I hoped you all liked it, and if you did, as always, please like, comment, and share with all your friends.**

 **Thanks for sticking around so long and Happy New Year!**

 **See you next time!**


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